Lyndall Ryan Thesis Prize 2026

The International Australian Studies Association (InASA) is calling for applications for the biennial Lyndall Ryan Thesis Prize. This new award celebrates excellence in PhD research in the interdisciplinary field of Australian Studies. InASA is honoured to offer this $1,000 prize which the late Professor Emerita Ryan (1943-2024) generously sponsored to support emerging scholars in Australian Studies. Professor Lyndall Ryan had an illustrious career in Australian Studies and History. She has produced ground-breaking work exploring frontier violence and settler-Indigenous relations, especially in the nineteenth century. Among her prominent works are Tasmanian Aborigines: A History Since 1803 (2012) and the Colonial Frontier Massacres Map (https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/map.php). Eligibility requirements for the 2026 Lyndall Ryan Thesis Prize are as follows: · Eligible PhD theses are those which were awarded in 2024 or 2025 · The theses must be in the field of Australian Studies, broadly defined · Entrants must be members of InASA. Interested applicants who are not yet members may take out a membership here: Membership – International Australian Studies Association (InASA). A panel of three judges will evaluate the applications based on the following selection criteria: · The excellence and originality of the PhD thesis · The contribution of the thesis to the interdisciplinary field of Australian Studies · The methodological and conceptual approach undertaken in the postgraduate thesis The decision of the judges will be final. The winner will be announced at the 2027 InASA biennial conference. The winner may be invited as a judge for the next Lyndall Ryan Thesis Prize. Application process: · Applicants must return the attached nomination form; · Applicants must provide a one-page statement which outlines the contribution the PhD thesis makes to knowledge and to the interdisciplinary field of Australian Studies · Please also attach a copy of all examiners’ reports Applicants should email a digital copy of their PhD thesis and the required attachments to the chair of the judging panel, Professor Jane Lydon (Jane.Lydon@uwa.edu.au), by 5pm AWST, 30 June 2026. Incomplete and late applications will not be considered.