The Australasian Animal Studies Association (AASA) is pleased to announce the inaugural round of the AASA Siobhan O’Sullivan Book Prize.

This prize was established through a bequest by the late Associate Professor Siobhan O’Sullivan.

Siobhan O’Sullivan was an Australian social and political scientist, and founding member of AASA.

Eligibility

The nominated work must:

• be a book length monograph; and
• have been first published in the two year period 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2024; and
• have been first published in English; and
• have been subject to peer review by the publisher; and
• be wholly or substantially in the field of animal studies; and
• have not previously been submitted to the AASA Siobhan O’Sullivan Book Prize.

The monograph may be attributed to more than one author; however edited collections (or works within them) are not eligible for entry.

Revised editions, translations, posthumous publications, policy or research reports, and textbooks are not eligible for entry.

Criteria

Nominated work deemed eligible by the judging panel will be assessed in relation to:

• the quality of its contribution to the field of animal studies; and
• the extent to which it substantially contributes to, and foregrounds, respect for the interests, perspectives or rights of, nonhuman animals.

Nominations
Nominations may be made by the author(s) or, with the permission of the author, a representative of the relevant publisher.

Nominees will be required to submit a Nomination Form which will request a summary of the book, and statements describing how the nominated work is wholly or substantially in the field of animal studies, and substantially contributes to, and foregrounds, respect for the interests, perspectives or rights of, nonhuman animals.

Nominees will required to submit an electronic copy of the nominated work with their application.

Judging process
The decision will be made by a judging panel of no less than four people nominated by the AASA Committee.

Judging panel members will be appointed based upon their knowledge and commitment to the field. Judging panel members do not need to be AASA Committee members, or AASA members. Judging panel members may be appointed by the AASA Committee on the advice of the AASA Siobhan O’Sullivan Prizes Sub-Committee.

The Judging panel will include at least one early career researcher, and the panel as a whole must include at least two female-identifying scholars.

Members of the judging panel will be required to complete a Conflict-of-Interest declaration prior and during the judging process.

Eligibility. After the closing date, a secretariat nominated by AASA will review applications and, in consultation with the Judging panel, discard entries deemed ineligible. Nominated works with incomplete Nomination Forms may be deemed ineligible.

Shortlisting. The Judging panel will review eligible Nomination Forms and create a shortlist of nominated works. Shortlisted authors will be notified. All shortlisting decisions of the judging panel are final, and the judging panel reserves the right to determine the number of nominated works on the final shortlist, and may also determine that no works are suitable to shortlist. The judging panel will make its decision based upon submitted Nomination Forms, and is unable to receive other additional material.

Decision. Shortlisted nominated works will be judged based on:

1. the quality of their contribution to the field of animal studies, and
2. the extent to which it substantially contributes to, and foregrounds, respect for the interests, perspectives and rights of, nonhuman animals.

The Judging panel may seek from relevant publishers hardcopies of shortlisted books where this may aid the accessibility of the judging process.

All decisions of the judging panel are final, and the judging panel and AASA reserves the right to not award the prize. The judging panel will make its decision based upon the nominated works, and is unable to receive other additional material.

Shortlisted entries and winners of the book prize will be announced at the discretion of AASA.

Timeline
Announcement date – December 2024
Closing date for applications – 14 February 2025
Shortlist Announcement – April 2025
Winner Announcement – November 2025

Award details
The winner will receive AUD $5,000.

In the case of a book written by more than one person, the prize money will be split equally between all nominees. Any relevant costs associated with dispensing prize money (such as wire fees and currency exchange fees) will be deducted from the final prize money. It is the responsibility of prize winners to declare earnings within their relevant taxation jurisdiction.

Due Date
Applications are due by 5pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on Friday 14th February 2025.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Submission
To complete the submission process, please use this online form.