October 2, 2023

To: Members of the American Economic Association and Economics Department Chairs
From: Peter L. Rousseau, Secretary-Treasurer
Subject: Deadlines are approaching for the AEA Award and Grant Opportunities – Apply Now!

The deadlines for the various AEA awards and grant opportunities are quickly approaching! Now is the time to consider applying or nominating someone for prestigious honors and other opportunities described below. We need your help getting the information to those who could benefit the most. Please take a moment to read about and consider the opportunities below.

AEA Distinguished Service Award. This award was established to recognize the volunteer efforts of individuals who have served the profession. The service contribution should impact the field of economics in a significant and positive way on a national scale. While this award is conferred by the AEA, it is not expected that service be limited to AEA-supported activities. The winner will be recognized at the ASSA Annual Meeting in January. For more details and information on how to nominate an individual, visit  https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/honors-awards/distinguished-service-award.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives. The following awards were launched by the AEA in conjunction with its Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession (CSMGEP) in 2020 to promote diversity and inclusion within the profession.  A summary of the awards and opportunities is below. Further details can be found on the web page for each initiative.

• AEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion.  This annual award recognizes departments and organizations that demonstrate outstanding achievement in diversity and inclusion practices. Focus is given to those applicants that take productive steps to establish new programs and procedures to create an inclusive environment, and to increase the participation of underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The award is open to all US-based departments of economics and other organizations employing significant numbers of economists. There are up to four winners per year.
  
  
• Departmental Seed Grants for Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion.  These grants, in amounts up to $5,000, are awarded to economics departments to help establish new bridge programs or training programs for underrepresented minorities (URM) students. For example, a department might create a mentoring program for URM graduate or undergraduate students, create opportunities for URM students to do meaningful research assistant work, or start a program allowing URM students who need additional preparation for graduate school to take a lighter class load in the first year or to take core economics courses over two years. There are up to four grant recipients per year.
  
  
• The Andrew Brimmer Undergraduate Essay Prize.  Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, this paper prize was established in honor of Andrew Brimmer, the first African American to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. The annual award is presented to an undergraduate student at a US-based institution of higher learning majoring in economics, political science, public policy, or related fields for the best essay on the "economic well-being of Black Americans." The winner receives a check for $1,000 and a certificate from the president of the AEA.
  
  
• URM Travel Grants.  This award is open to junior economics faculty members from traditionally underrepresented groups in the economics profession. The grants will advance career and professional development by defraying the costs of travel, lodging, and conference registration to attend the annual ASSA meetings.  Each award covers up to $1,000 for eligible expenses and up to ten grants are awarded each year.
  
  
• Small Group Breakfast Meeting for URM Scholars.  Each year, at the ASSA Meeting, a breakfast is held with scholars from underrepresented minorities and prominent economists in attendance. The goal is to allow URM scholars access to AEA journal editors, executive board members, thought leaders in specific areas of economics, or other economists for the purpose of addressing issues of access to journals, conferences, and networks that are often out of reach for URM scholars. Participants at the breakfast is limited to 20.
  
  
• Professional Development Grant for URM Faculty.  This $2,000 grant was established to help advance the career and professional development of URM economists. The award is given to the winners of an essay competition detailing their research and how it relates to economic education. The award is open to eligible junior economist faculty members.
  
  

Award for Outstanding Research Paper in LGBTQ+ Economics. The Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession (CSQIEP) is accepting nominations for its annual Outstanding Research Paper in LGBTQ+ Economics Award for papers published in 2022 or 2023. The award recipient(s) will be announced at the 2024 ASSA meeting. Nominations are due November 1, 2023 and self-nominations are welcome. For more information and guidelines, visit https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/aealgbtq/csqiep-award.