Deadline: AAG Paper Abstract Submission Deadline (November 15th, 2024)

The Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group (HMGSG) of the AAG is accepting submissions for the Jacques May Thesis Prize. Since 1985, the prize has been awarded to Master’s and doctoral students addressing themes in health and medical geography broadly defined, as judged by a panel of reviewers. Submitted papers will be judged on their contribution to the field, methodological approach, organization, and written composition. Both awardees receive an official certificate and a cash award of $250 (doctoral) or $150 (Master’s).

Eligibility: Master’s or doctoral research officially completed within 24 months before the submission deadline is eligible, provided it has not been previously considered for the prize. You will submit an example paper representing your thesis/dissertation work, which should address a topic central to health and medical geography. Submitted papers must have the participant as the lead author. Membership in the American Association of Geographers is required, but membership in the HMGSG is not.

Submission and Review: Submissions should be sent to Shamayeta Bhattacharya (sbhattacharya@pointpark.edu) and Amber Dejohn (amber.dejohn@fsu.edu)

The timeline for the competition is as follows:

1.    AAG Abstract Submission Deadline (November 15th, 2024): An extended abstract (500-word limit) of your paper is due. The abstract should clearly state the purpose, methodology, and findings of the research.

2.    Notification of selection for full paper submission (Nov 30th, 2024): The Awards Committee selects the best extended abstracts for submission of full papers. You will receive notification about the Awards Committee decision by this date. Your full paper must be electronically submitted to the paper coordinators by midnight Eastern US time by Dec 15th, 2024 (maximum word limit 9000 words).

3.    Award Announcement: Winners will be announced at the HMGSG business meeting 2024. Winners will receive a monetary prize. Results of the competition will also be published on the HMGSG website.

Requirements:

The final full paper must include a 500-word abstract and be no longer than 9000 words for (excluding tables, references, and captions). Authors are also encouraged to submit the names of at least 3 possible reviewers who are not affiliated with the research. Ensure that the purpose, methodology, and findings of the research are clearly stated in the abstract. The body of the paper should be double-spaced, 12-point font size and one-inch margins, with page numbers. Remove any identifying information (e.g., name). References should be in AAG style. Submit the paper as a single PDF file with all figures and tables included in the document. Include a title page without author information within this PDF document. Submission of the extended abstract and final paper will be done electronically as an email attachment to the Paper Coordinators (contact information below).

In the email message accompanying the submission, please include the following information:

∙  Full name and current contact information department and university affiliation

∙  Title of paper

∙  Category and date of thesis/dissertation completion

∙  Name of your advisor

∙  Names and email addresses for three to four potential reviewers.

Reviewers must not be committee members or faculty at the student’s university or have any past formal association with the author (e.g., research collaborators, co-authors, etc.). Key authors in the field (e.g., from the thesis bibliography) would be appropriate.

Submission Deadline: The submission deadline is November 15th, 2024 by 11:59 PM EST.

Shamayeta Bhattacharya (sbhattacharya@pointpark.edu) and Amber Dejohn (amber.dejohn@fsu.edu)

Peter Gould Student Paper Award 2025

Deadline: October 31, 2024

Description:

The Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group (HMGSG) of the AAG invites current undergraduate and graduate students to submit their work to the specialty group’s annual Peter Gould Student Paper Competition. The competition is meant to promote written scholarship by students across the field. The prize will be awarded in each of two categories: 1) undergraduate students, and 2) graduate students (Master’s and Doctoral). Both awardees receive an official certificate and a cash award of $200 (graduate students) or $100 (undergraduate students).

Eligibility:

The competition is open to currently enrolled undergraduate, masters, and doctoral level students. Papers must be completed in the past 12 months prior to the submission deadline. Papers that were previously submitted for consideration for this award are not eligible. Papers published prior to the abstract deadline (including successfully defended theses and dissertations) will not be considered. Papers can be either single-authored or co-authored. For co-authored papers, the student should be the first author and responsible for over 80% of the analysis and writing. For a co-authored paper, a statement signed by the student and advisor regarding the student’s contribution (including percentage) is required. Membership in the American Association of Geographers and HMGSG is required. Students cannot submit to both the Peter Gould award and the Jacques May thesis competition in the same year.

Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the HMGSG Awards Committee. Selected abstracts will be invited to present at a HMGSG sponsored session during the 2025 AAG Annual Conference. Winners will be selected based on their written paper and oral presentation. Papers will be judged by external reviewers and the HMGSG Awards Committee on several criteria: originality, scholarship, organization, appropriate use of methodology, written composition, and oral presentation. Finalists are required to present at a 2025 AAG HMGSG sponsored session for the Peter Gould Student Paper Award.

Submission & Review:

The timeline for the competition is as follows:

1. AAG Abstract Submission Deadline (October 31, 2024): An extended abstract (500-word limit) of your paper is due. The abstract should clearly state the purpose, methodology, and findings of the research. You will need to submit this to AAG in the normal way for abstracts (which may require fewer words) and then also send to paper coordinator Dr. Jessica Finlay (jessica.finlay@colorado.edu). Once you have submitted to AAG, you will get a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for 2025 AAG, which you should also send to Dr. Finlay as part of your submission for this award.
2. Selection of Extended Abstracts (November 21, 2024): The Awards Committee selects the best extended abstracts (undergrad, grad) for submission of full papers. Selected abstracts will be added into a sponsored HMGSG session at the AAG. You will receive notification about the Awards Committee decision by this date.
3. Full Paper Submission (January 31, 2025): Your full paper must be electronically submitted to paper coordinator Dr. Jessica Finlay (jessica.finlay@colorado.edu) by midnight Eastern US time.
4. Presentation at the AAG Meeting (March 24 to March 28, 2025): Present at the AAG Annual Conference.
5. Award Announcement (HMGSG Board Meeting at the AAG Annual Conference): Winners will be announced at the HMGSG business meeting. Winners will receive a monetary prize. Results of the competition will also be published on the HMGSG website.

Requirements:

The final full paper must include a 500-word abstract, and be no longer than 9,000 words (excluding tables, figures, references, and captions). 

• Ensure that the purpose, methodology, and findings of the research are clearly stated in the abstract. 
• The body of the paper should be double-spaced, 12-point font size and one-inch margins, with page numbers. 
• Remove any identifying information (e.g. names). 
• References should be formatted in a standard referencing style (e.g., APA). 
• Submit the paper as a single PDF file with all figures and tables included in the document. 
• Include a title page without author information within this PDF document. 

In addition: Please separately submit the names of at least 3 possible reviewers who are not affiliated with the research. 

Students presenting their papers should plan on a 10-minute presentation with 5 minutes of questions from the audience and review committee.

Submission of the extended abstract and final paper will be done electronically as an email attachment to the Paper Coordinator (contact information below). Include the following information in the body of the email message: Your full name, address, email address, department and university affiliation, name of advisor or mentor, and title of the paper. Please put “HMGSG Student Paper Competition” in the subject line. Email your submissions to Dr. Jessica Finlay at jessica.finlay@colorado.edu.