Prize

Davis Center Book Prize in Political and Social Studies

The Davis Center Book Prize in Political and Social Studies, established in 2008 and sponsored by the Kathryn W. and Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, is awarded annually for an outstanding monograph published on Russia, Eurasia, or Eastern Europe in anthropology, political science, sociology, or geography in the previous calendar year. The Davis Center Book Prize carries a cash award. The award is presented at the ASEEES Annual Convention.

Rules of Eligibility

Rules of eligibility for the Davis Center book prize competition are as follows:

  • The publication date inside the book must list the previous calendar year as the date of publication. For example, the book must have been a publication date of 2023 to be eligible for the 2024 competition. If no publication date is listed, the copyright date will be taken as the publication date.
  • The book must be originally in the form of a monograph, preferably by a single author, or by no more than two authors.
  • The book must be originally published in English.
  • Authors may be of any nationality
  • Works may deal with any area of Russia, Eurasia, or Eastern Europe.
  • The competition is open to works of scholarship in anthropology, political science, sociology, or geography, and also to social science works that cross strict disciplinary boundaries.
  • Textbooks, collections, translations (including self-nominations), bibliographies, and reference works are ineligible.
  • Self-published books are ineligible.

Nominating Instructions

A book can be nominated by the publisher or the author only. The nominator (publisher or author) is responsible for sending copies of the book to the prize committee members.

Fill out and submit this form to notify the Association of your intent to nominate a publication for the Davis Center prize. As of 2020 books may only be nominated for two prizes (e.g., this prize and one other).

Send one copy of eligible monograph to each Committee member (see addresses below). The nomination form must be submitted by no later than April 15. And books must be received by no later than May 15 (books not received by the deadline may not be considered).

Submissions should be clearly marked “Davis Center Book Prize Nomination.”

Please direct questions to [email protected].

2026 Davis Center Book Prize in Political and Social Studies Committee

The winner of the 2026 Davis Center Book Prize will be chosen by the following scholars. For questions, please contact ASEEES at [email protected] or 412-648-9911.

COMMITTEE CHAIR

Lenka Bustikova-Siroky
University of Florida, 2024-2026

Print books are preferred. They can be sent to:
Lenka Bustikova-Siroky
Director and Professor of Political Science
Center for European Studies
University of Florida
3324A Turlington Hall
PO Box 117342
Gainesville, FL 32611-7342

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to:
[email protected]

Edward Holland
U of Arkansas, 2025-2027

Print books are preferred. They can be sent to:
Edward Holland
Department of Geosciences,
University of Arkansas
340 N. Campus Walk
216 Gearhart Hall
Fayetteville, AR 72701

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to:
[email protected]

Tomila Lankina
London School of Economics and Political Science (UK), 2026-2028 

Print books are preferred. They can be sent to:
Tomila Lankina
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin
Institute for Advanced Study
Wallotstrasse 19 D-14193 Berlin, Germany

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to:
[email protected]

(For customs use): Please mark the nominated books as “gift” to alert Customs that this is not a commercial shipment/to insure the recipient does not have to pay for the items.

Past Winners

The following scholars received the Davis Center Book Prize in the past:

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