IASA ANNUAL MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP AWARD FOR GRADUATE THESES

DESCRIPTION IASA awards this annual memorial fellowship to the author of the year’s  outstanding doctoral dissertation or masters thesis proposal or project  in Italian American and Italian Diaspora Studies. We welcome for  consideration all approaches to these fields of study. Although the  dissertation or thesis may be written in English or Italian, all  application materials must be in English.

ELIGIBILITY Graduate students whose work focuses on Italian American or Italian  Diaspora Studies, including but not limited to history, language, film,  literature, social sciences, the arts, ethnic racial identity, etc. are  eligible to apply.  Applicants must be members of IASA.

Applicants with recently completed projects must include proof of  defense/completion within the calendar year before the award deadline  (September 7, 2026). Applicants with projects-in-progress must, instead,  include proof of project/proposal approval by their department chair or  advisor.

Graduate students who do not win in a given year, but continue to work  on their dissertation or thesis in the following year, are welcome to  apply a second time. 

Graduate students applying for the annual conference travel grants are  contemporaneously eligible for the Memorial Fellowship Prize. 

Decisions will be based on the following: •    qualifications (academic standing and pertinent subject matter); •    quality and significance of the project (research questions and  methodology, articulation of problems, concepts and approach,  originality of content and research); •    evidence of steady, timely progress on the project; and •    potential impact of the project on related fields of study and Italian American and Italian Diaspora Studies in general.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: 1.    Application materials must be in English (the project itself may be written in English or Italian)

2.    Please upload the following documents in .docx or pdf format to Submittable: https://italianamericanstudies.submittable.com/submit/141067/iasa-memorial-fellowship-1-000  ●    Cover letter: In 150 words or less, briefly describe your  dissertation or thesis project and your progress toward completion. ●    Project description: In three double-spaced pages or less (standard  12-point font with 1-inch margins), describe the dissertation project  or M.A. thesis that has either been recently completed or is currently  in-progress. Clearly state the title and scope of your project. Clearly  explain the significance of your research and how it contributes to the  advancement of knowledge in the field of Italian American and/or Italian  Diaspora Studies.  ●    Curriculum vitae: Document should include your current mailing  address, e-mail address, and telephone number and focus on publications,  courses, professional activities, and awards. Maximum length not to  exceed two pages. ●    Unofficial transcripts: Proof of good standing, scanned as PDF, preferably. ●    Two letters of reference: One letter should come from an academic  advisor, thesis committee member, and/or dissertation director, and  directly address the relevance of your project to the furthering of  Italian American / Italian Diaspora Studies. Both letters must be in  English.

3.    Please provide recommenders with necessary information about  your application, project, deadlines, etc. in a timely fashion.

4.    Recommenders must upload their letters directly by themselves in .docx or .pdf format to Submittable: https://italianamericanstudies.submittable.com/forms/reference/

For any questions about the application process, please contact the  Chair of the Fellowship/Award Committee, Dr. Alessia Martini  almartin@sewanee.edu  DEADLINE: September 7, 2026

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. The fellowship recipient will be notified via e-mail and will also be announced at the annual IASA conference. Attendance and participation in the conference are strongly encouraged. Funds will be awarded at or after the conference.