Himes Student Paper Award

At each year’s annual conference, the North Carolina Sociological Association (NCSA) awards papers that represent excellence in sociological analysis from both undergraduate and graduate students. Students are encouraged to self nominate, but faculty members are also welcome to nominate their students.

About the Himes Award

The award is named in honor of Dr. Joseph Himes, a founding member and the first president of NCSA (1969-1971). In 1969, Dr. Himes became the first African American faculty member to be tenured as a professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Prior to his tenure at UNCG, Dr. Himes spent 23 years at North Carolina Central University. From 1965-66, he served as president of the Southern Sociological Society.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Any student enrolled in a community college, a four-year college/university, or graduate program in North Carolina may submit a paper for consideration.

    • Note: Faculty mentors may submit a student paper for consideration along with a brief (150-200 word) statement of paper merit and confirmation that the student has been informed of their paper submission.

  • Co-authored papers written by graduate students are eligible for the graduate paper award. The monetary award will be evenly distributed among authors of the winning paper.

  • Co-authored papers written by undergraduate students are eligible for the undergraduate paper award. The monetary award will be evenly distributed among authors of the winning paper.

  • Co-authored papers written by students and faculty members are ineligible for the award.

  • Co-authored papers written by undergraduate and graduate students are ineligible for the award.

  • The same individual is eligible to win the undergraduate award once and the graduate award once.

Award Information

This competition comes with the following monetary awards: $150 for the winning undergraduate papers (2-year and 4-year institutions) and $250 for the winning graduate paper.

Winners receive a certificate of recognition from the NCSA and are acknowledged at the NCSA Annual Meeting. Faculty mentors are recognized at the annual meeting and their school/college deans and department chairpersons are notified of this recognition. Registration fees are waived for all awardees who attend the NCSA annual meeting.

**Submissions to the Himes Student Paper Award will open each fall. More information about submission can be found here.