Call for Papers: The 2026 BRAIS Prize in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World

The British Association for Islamic Studies (BRAIS) is delighted to announce the 2026 round of the BRAIS Prize in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World.

This international prize is awarded annually to one outstanding doctoral thesis. English-language submissions on any aspect of the academic study of Islam and the Muslim world, past and present, including Muslim-minority societies are accepted. Applicants can be based in any country.

Manuscripts will be assessed on the basis of scholarly quality and originality, rigour in scholarship, use of source material, contribution to the field and clarity of expression.

The award includes a cash prize of £1000 which will be officially presented at the Annual Conference of BRAIS. The selection process will be undertaken by the prize committee comprising established academics from across the field. The winning candidate will be notified by September 2026.

Rules and Regulations: 

1. To be eligible, a submission must be a doctoral thesis which has been completed, successfully defended, and accepted no more than two years before the submission deadline. The thesis must have been submitted as part of the requirements for a doctoral degree at any university in the world.
2. The subject(s) covered by the submission should fall within the remit of BRAIS. For details, see: www.brais.ac.uk/about-brais/about-us. The Prize Committee will make the final decision on whether submissions are of sufficient relevance.
3. An award ceremony will be organised at the BRAIS Annual Conference.
4. The BRAIS Prize is open to BRAIS members from any country. There is no age limit.
5. Submissions are accepted in English only and must adhere to internationally recognised standards and conventions of academic writing, including of transliteration. Entries must include:
   1. Application form which can be downloaded here: BRAIS Prize 2026 Application Form
   2. The manuscript. The minimum word limit is 80,000 words. There is no maximum limit. The thesis must be submitted in anonymised form, with all references to the author and his/her institution, acknowledgements and any other material that might help to identify the origins of the thesis removed, within reason. This is to maximise impartiality during the review process.
   3. The applicant’s curriculum vitae, of a maximum of 2 pages.
   4. A statement, of a maximum of 750 words, summarising the submission and highlighting its originality and contribution to the field.
   5. A scanned copy of the formal confirmation of the completion, successful defence and acceptance of the doctoral thesis from the awarding institution. If in doubt on the nature of this document, please enquire at your institution.
6. Items a-d should be submitted in PDF format. All files must contain the applicant’s surname in the file name. Documents must be submitted to brais.prize@ed.ac.uk by 5pm GMT Friday 30 January 2026.
7. The applicant should also arrange for the supervisor or another academic, who is more senior than the applicant and is familiar with the submission, to submit a supporting statement that highlights its contributions to the field. This should be submitted by the supervisor or senior academic confidentially and directly to brais.prize@ed.ac.uk by 5pm GMT Friday 30 January 2026. The full name of the applicant should be stated in the title of the email.
8. Failure to follow all submission requirements will result in an automatic disqualification.

All submissions are vigorously and anonymously reviewed by experts in the relevant field. The reports from reviewers help the Prize Committee to undertake the selection process.

The Prize Committee

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (Coventry University)

Nahyan Fancy (University of Exeter)

Jon Hoover (University of Nottingham)

Anna McSweeny (Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin)

Jorgen Neilsen (University of Birmingham)

Judith Pfeiffer (University of Bonn)

Yossef Rapoport (Queen Mary University of London)

Saeko Yazaki (University of Glasgow), Chair

Former Prize Committee Members

Omar Anchassi (University of Bern)

Anthony Allison (University of Glasgow)

Glaire Anderson (University of Edinburgh)

Carool Kersten (KU Leuven)

Nicolai Sinai (Oxford University)

Rob Gleave (University of Exeter)

James Piscatori (Durham University)

Sophie Gilliat-Ray (Cardiff University)

Ayman Shihadeh (SOAS, University of London), Chair 2016-2018

The BRAIS Prize was originally called the BRAIS-De Gruyter Prize until 2022 and the BRAIS Officers and Prize Committee would like to express special thanks to De Gruyter for their support in establishing and developing the Prize.

Former Prize Committee Coordinators

Anthony Allison

Omar Anchassi

Adam Ramadhan