Beth B. Hess Memorial Dissertation Scholarship
Deadline: April 1 of calendar year
About Beth Hess
Beth Hess was a feminist sociologist who wrote extensively on aging. As a humanist her work “discuss[ed] the difficulties the elderly faced not as problems inherent in older people, but as problems in the social order that should be confronted and changed.” Hess was a leader in the profession, including serving as President of the Sociologists for Women in Society (1987–1989). Written by Judith Lorber, read about Beth B. Hess’s groundbreaking work at the Jewish Women’s Archive.
The Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship is an SWS award that also receives support from The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) and the American Sociological Association (ASA) as a result of Beth B. Hess’s significant contributions to the discipline and corresponding associations. In addition to her other contributions, SWS also honors her roles as a founding member of Gender & Society and as a mentor (recipient of SWS’s coveted award in 1997).
Overview
The Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship is for an advanced sociology Ph.D. student, a student advanced to candidacy (ABD status) preferably in the last year of their program, who began their study in a community college or technical school. If the applicant studied at a U.S. two-year college either part-time or full-time for the equivalent of at least one full academic year that was not part of a high-school dual-enrollment or enrichment program is eligible to apply. Students who attended the international equivalent of a U.S. two-year college are also welcome to apply.
Of particular interest are applications that prioritize the following:
- Commitment to teaching, especially at a community college or other institution serving under-represented and historically marginalized students.
- Research and/or activism in social inequality, social justice, or social problems, with a focus on gender and/or gerontology being especially positive.
- Service to the academic and/or local community, including mentoring.
- High quality research and writing in the application.
About Eligibility and Award
Applicants must be SWS members and may apply for membership at the time of submission. If you are new to SWS, please become a member first.
The award is intended to provide support to a student in the last year of their program. Applicants should have completed data collection and be at the final writing stage of the dissertation. Candidates who are already in the writing stage and apparently near completion will be prioritized.
The Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship selects one recipient and up to two honorable mention awardees. All previous applicants, including honorable mention awardees, remain eligible to re-apply one more time.
The Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship of $18,000 (for the academic year) is from Sociologists for Women in Society. The recipient receives an award certificate from SWS, a $500 travel grant and waived conference registration to attend the SWS annual Winter Conference where the awardee is honored, a $500 travel grant to attend ASA’s and SSSP’s annual conference in summer, and a one-year complimentary SWS membership. The $18,000 is disbursed in two payments during the academic year (first portion of the award by August 31st and second portion at the annual SWS Winter Conference).
The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) also honors the awardee with a one-year complimentary membership and waived meeting registration for their annual conference where the awardee will be honored with an electronic certificate at the Awards Ceremony. SSSP also provides a $300 stipend to be used toward travel to their annual summer conference.
ASA joins SWS and SSSP in honoring the awardee by providing a one year of membership, a $500 travel award, and waived registration for the ASA annual conference.
Summary Table of Award Benefits
| From SWS | From SSSP | From ASA |
| $18K scholarship | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| SWS award certificate | Electronic certificates and recipients will be recognized during the SSSP Awards Ceremony | Includes awardee in programs for its fellowship recipients |
| Complimentary conference registration and $500 travel grant to attend SWS annual Winter Conference | Complimentary conference registration at SSSP annual meeting | Complimentary conference registration at ASA annual meeting |
| $500 travel grant to attend ASA & SSSP annual conferences | $300 travel stipend to attend SSSP annual meeting | $500 travel stipend to attend ASA annual meeting* |
| 1-year complimentary SWS membership | 1-year complimentary SSSP membership | 1-year complimentary ASA membership |
*Combined summer travel stipends means that the award recipient has up to $1300 to defray the cost of travel to ASA and SSSP annual conferences.
About Honorable Mention Awardees
Up to two honorable mention awardees may be selected. A total of $3,500 award is available for the honorable mention awardee (an amount shared if two awardees are selected). Honorable mention awardees receive one-time complimentary SWS membership and are celebrated at the SWS annual Winter Conference.
About Proposal
SWS member applicants nearing completion of their doctoral research at the time of submission should prepare an application that includes:
- A cover sheet
- A letter of application (no more than 2 pages)
- Full curriculum vitae
- Transcripts (official or unofficial) from the community or technical college attended.
- A letter from a department representative (advisor, dissertation committee member, or graduate director) confirming advancement to candidacy (ABD status/indication of a successful defense of the dissertation proposal) in a sociology Ph.D. program. ABD status is required.
- A letter of recommendation from a sociologist who is familiar with the stage of dissertation completion and is knowledgeable about how the applicant fits the award criteria.
Additional details are found on the Member Portal.
Awardees are notified in the summer.
The entirety of the application (#1-4) should be submitted as a single PDF file to the Member Portal, requiring login. The letters of recommendation are submitted under separate cover online by the deadline.
The Member Portal typically starts accepting applications, including letters of support, in January.
Click HERE to see previous award recipients.
Please contact the SWS Executive Office if you have any questions at contact@socwomen.org.