Background
The Peter Balint Memorial Prize in Political Theory celebrates the legacy of Peter’s distinguished contribution to political theory. Dr Peter Balint was an Associate Professor in International and Political Studies at UNSW, Canberra. His research was primarily focussed on the principles for diversity, including respect, toleration, neutrality, and social cohesion.
His books include Debating Multiculturalism: Should There be Minority Rights? (with Patti Tamara Lenard, Oxford University Press, 2022), and Respecting Toleration: Traditional Liberalism and Contemporary Diversity (Oxford University Press, 2017), which was awarded an APSA CRISP Prize in 2018.
Dr Peter Balint came into academia after having spent many years rock climbing and bouldering, and he wrote Sydney’s first bouldering guide.
The Prize remembers Dr Peter Balint by recognising outstanding work in the field of political theory and the unusual path he took to get there. Endowed by Dr Peter Balint’s family and awarded annually, the Prize honours the best paper by an early career researcher (within 5 years of PhD award) or by someone who has followed an unconventional path to academia.
Description
1. The Prize is awarded annually for an unpublished work that makes a significant scholarly contribution to the field of political theory.
2. The Prize consists of a monetary award (the amount of $2,000) and the recipient is offered publication of their paper in the Australian Journal of Political Science (subject to revisions, if required).
3. The Prize will be presented at the annual Australian Political Studies Association Conference, in recognition of scholarly excellence, originality, and the spirit of critical inquiry that defined Dr Peter Balint’s contribution to political thought.
4. Submissions from scholars across the globe are warmly encouraged.
Eligibility
1. The Prize is open to submissions by a scholar working in the field of political theory anywhere in the world who is either:
(a) an early career researcher within 5 years of being awarded their PhD; or
(b) scholar at any stage of their career who has had an unusual pathway into academia, with preference given to those who overcame significant obstacles in their path.
2. The work submitted must be unpublished and can contribute to any area in political theory. The work is not to exceed 8,000 words (excluding references), with a further 2,000 word limit for references.
Deadline
19 July 2026. Application form here. Please submit to info@auspsa.org.au
Conflict of Interest Statement (please review before applying)
Judging Process
Committee Members The committee will be made up of 4 political studies scholars. Among the four members, one serves as a representative of the Australian Journal of Political Science (AJPS), another member represents APSA as the organisation managing the prize, and at least one represents APSA’s Political Theory Research Group. AJPS will invite one additional political theorist to sit on the committee. After the prize is awarded, the PTRG member and appointed political theorist member provides reports to the winning author only, outlining required revisions for publication (if any).
Assessment criteria
The committee evaluates whether submissions meet AJPS publishable quality and also the prize guidelines: intellectual rigor, a spirit of critical inquiry, originality, and significance to the discipline.
Prize decision rule
o If no paper is deemed publishable, no prize is awarded.
o If one or more papers are publishable, the best of these wins the prize. Others can be ‘highly commended’ and encouraged to submit their article for publication in AJPS also. The authors of the highly commended papers will not be provided with reports by the Committee and their papers will be reviewed by AJPS via the standard submission process.