J. I. Staley Prize
The School for Advanced Research (SAR) presents the J. I. Staley Prize to a living author for a book that exemplifies outstanding scholarship and writing in anthropology. The award recognizes innovative works that go beyond traditional frontiers and dominant schools of thought in anthropology and add new dimensions to our understanding of the human species. It honors books that cross subdisciplinary boundaries within anthropology and reach out in new and expanded interdisciplinary directions.
By recognizing groundbreaking books and their authors through the J. I. Staley Prize, SAR seeks to stimulate the best in anthropological research and writing. Authors other than anthropologists are eligible to receive the Prize if their work has had a significant impact on scholars and practitioners in the field of anthropology.
The J. I. Staley Prize carries a cash award of $7,500.
J. I. Staley Prize Nominations
A nomination for the J. I. Staley Prize can be made by attaching a letter of nomination to the Staley Nomination Cover Sheet (PDF, 287 KB). Each nomination should address how the book fulfills the selection criteria listed below. Each nomination must be for a single outstanding and influential book.
Nominations must be received by October 1st to be considered for the following year’s J. I. Staley Prize and may be made by individuals or academic departments. Authors and publishers may not nominate their own books.
Nominations should be emailed to staley[at]sarsf.org.
Criteria
A panel of scholars evaluates books nominated for the J. I. Staley prize by the following criteria:
- innovative and rigorous thinking in terms of theory, research methods, and/or application of findings;
- superior integration of sub-disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary perspectives;
- significant contribution to our understanding of humankind;
- exemplary writing and clarity of expression; and
- demonstrated or anticipated impact on the field of anthropology.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the J. I. Staley Prize, a book must currently be in print. It must have been in publication for at least two years before it is nominated and for no longer than eight years. Co-authored books are eligible for the Prize, but edited volumes and textbooks are not. Second or subsequent editions are not eligible for consideration.
Selection Process
After reviewing the nominations to ensure they are eligible for the award, the School convenes a panel of outside scholars representing a broad spectrum of the subdisciplines of anthropology. Comprised of a different set of scholars each year, the panel evaluates nominated books based on the criteria for the Staley prize. Books eliminated in the first round of consideration by three successive panels may be withdrawn from the pool.
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.