Call for applications: Annual Manuscript Workshop Award 2026

Annual Manuscript Workshop Award 2026

Call for applications: The APSA Political Theory Research Group, with the support of the Melbourne Political, Legal, and Social Theory Network (MPLAST), invites applications for its 2026 Annual Manuscript Workshop Award. The award winner will be invited to Melbourne for a day-long workshop in November/December 2026 (exact date to be agreed upon with the winner) centred around their book manuscript. Their travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the award. Political theorists with expertise on the book topic will provide commentaries on different aspects of the book manuscript and the author will have the opportunity to respond to their feedback. The event will also include Q&A sessions with the audience.   

Eligibility: The manuscript topic can be in any area of political theory (including areas that intersect with social and/or legal theory). Applicants can be at any career stage but must be based at an Australian institution (either as permanent/temporary members of staff or as visiting scholars). Applicants must have a PhD in hand by 1 February 2026 and a (nearly-) complete manuscript draft (at least 80 per cent of the final draft) ready to present at the workshop. If a manuscript has multiple authors, all the authors are eligible to apply and, if successful, will all be named as recipients of the prize and may participate in the workshop. However, the award will only cover travel and accommodation costs for one of the authors.  

Application: Please submit the following materials by email to terry.macdonald@unimelb.edu.au and matteo.bonotti@monash.edu by 30 June 2026. The email subject heading should be ‘2026 Political Theory Manuscript Workshop Award’. The materials should be compiled as a single PDF file, in the following order: 1) a book summary (up to 2000 words); 2) a table of contents; 3) a sample chapter; 4) a 5-page CV. The successful applicant will be notified by 31 July 2025 and they will be required to submit their manuscript draft at least one month before the agreed upon workshop date.   

If you have any questions, please contact Matteo Bonotti (matteo.bonotti@monash.edu) and Terry Macdonald (terry.macdonald@unimelb.edu.au).