Annually, the University of Louisville awards significant cash prizes in five fields: Music Composition, Religion, Education, Psychology, and World Order.

For about 15 years, I have directed the administration of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Basically, I chair the initial review committee that is housed within the Department of Political Science.

The Award’s basic purpose is described on our webpage:

Submissions will be judged according to originality, feasibility and potential impact, not by the cumulative record of the nominee. They may address a wide range of global concerns including foreign policy and its formation; the conduct of international relations or world politics; global economic issues, such as world trade and investment; resolution of regional, ethnic or racial conflicts; the proliferation of destructive technologies; global cooperation on environmental protection or other important issues; international law and organization; any combination or particular aspects of these, or any other suitable idea which could at least incrementally lead to a more just and peaceful world order.

The webpage also includes some useful information about the nomination and selection processes and material about past winners and their prize-winning works.

• The 2010 prize will be announced on December 1 and I typically blog about the winner(s) here at the Duck.

• The Department is accepting nominations for the 2011 competition until Thursday, January 15, 2010.

The initial submission process is relatively simple: Nominators must complete a very short form (available as a pdf file on the webpage) and submit a nomination letter. We especially encourage nominations from individual scholars and policy-makers, though we most frequently receive them from publishers. Self-nomination is permitted, though all nominators should note that reviewers will see these letters.

Completed 2011 files are due from nominees by February 16, 2010. We will need four copies of the nominated work, though publishers typically provide them for nominated books.

All relevant ideas published or publicly presented in any work between January 2005 and December 2009 are potentially eligible. Previously submitted nominations may be resubmitted.

For further information, just visit the website or contact me or my assistant, Ms. Arlene Brannon.