The Michael Ames Prize for Innovative Museum Anthropology
The Michael M. Ames Prize for Innovative Museum Anthropology is awarded annually to individuals for innovative work in museum anthropology, which is understood to entail outstanding single or multi-authored books, published catalogues, temporary and permanent exhibits, repatriation projects, collaborations with descendant communities, educational or outreach projects, multimedia works, and other endeavors. Individuals can be nominated by any member of CMA, with an annual deadline of June 1. A letter of nomination and any supporting material should accompany a copy of the evidence of the work under consideration. The CMA President will appoint a prize committee of three people at the CMA Board of Directors meeting held at the AAA Annual Meeting. The prize committee will review the works and the prize-winners will be notified in advance of the annual AAA meetings so that they can consider attending. The prize winner will be announced at the AAA Annual Meeting and presented with a certificate of the award.
Nomination:
* Deadline: June 1 annually
* The nominator must be a current CMA member in good standing
* Self-nominations are allowed
* Hard copies of nomination packets and materials must be sent by the nominator to each of the three prize committee members
* Nomination packets should include a cover letter and the work under consideration (or evidence of it), as well as any supporting materials, such as letters of support, media coverage, DVDs, etc.
* Nomination packets will not be returned
Evaluation Criteria:
* Creativity: Is the project a unique and creative exploration of museum anthropology’s central themes, tensions, and histories?
* Timeliness: Does the project say something important about museum anthropology’s current predicaments and unknown future?
* Depth: In what ways does the project penetrate into the complexity of material culture and the study of it through novel methods and theories?
* Impact: Does the project have the potential to make broad and lasting impacts in museum anthropology?
Process and Rules:
* A three-person prize committee of CMA members, headed by a committee chair, will be constituted by the current CMA President at the annual AAA Board of Directors meeting each year
* The committee will be formally announced by January 15 annually, with the addresses of each committee member publicized
* All nomination materials must be received by June 1 annually, although incomplete nominations may still be considered based on the materials provided
* If no qualified nominations are made, the prize committee may elect to refrain from presenting the award for that year
CMA Student Travel Award
The CMA Travel Awards are designed to support student travel to the annual AAA meeting to present papers and/or posters. Students and recent PhDs (those who have defended within the year of the award) are eligible to apply. CMA will award two prizes of $500 each.
Applications are due on September 1 of the given year. A brief letter of application must indicate the applicant’s status as a student or recent PhD holder, and explain how this paper/poster relates to their ongoing graduate work or current work as a recent PhD. Applicants must include a copy of the abstract for the paper or poster, the name and abstract for the session in which they will be presenting, and proof of acceptance for presentation at AAA. All applicants must also submit a letter of endorsement from a present or former academic advisor at their most recent institution of study. Prize-winners will be announced at the AAA Annual Meeting and presented with a certificate of the award.
Evaluation Criteria: (1) Creativity: Is the paper or poster a unique and novel contribution to museum anthropology? (2) Commitment: Does the student demonstrate a commitment to the field of museum anthropology? (3) Impact: Does the paper or poster have the potential to develop into a work that could more broadly impact the field of museum anthropology?
A three-person prize committee of CMA members, headed by a committee chair, will be constituted by the current CMA President at the annual AAA Board of Directors meeting each year, and formally announced by January 15 annually, with the addresses of each committee member publicized. Applicants will hear from the committee by October 1 as to the committee’s decision.
To enter work in the 2010 competition, send one copy of the application packet by the deadline of September 1, 2010, to each of the following Student Travel Prize Committee members: Joshua Bell, Department of Anthropology, MRC 112, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012; Margaret Bruchac, 63 Franklin Street, Northampton, MA 01060; and Daniel Swan, SNOMNH, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Ave, Norman, OK 73072.
Any questions should be directed to the prize committee chair at aravea@gmail.com.
