De Gruyter Brill and the German Studies Association Launch New Dissertation Prize

Berlin, 2 October 2025

In a new initiative to support early-career scholars in the field of German Studies, De Gruyter Brill and the German Studies Association (GSA) are proud to announce the establishment of the GSA-De Gruyter Brill Dissertation Prize.

The annual award will recognize outstanding unpublished doctoral dissertations that explore the multifaceted relationships between German-speaking societies and the wider world.

The inaugural prize will be awarded in 2026, with the winner receiving a $1,000 cash award and the opportunity to publish their revised dissertation with De Gruyter Brill. If the winner opts for immediate open access publication, De Gruyter Brill will waive the open access fee.

This prize reflects our commitment to fostering innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship in German Studies and there couldn't be a better partner for this than the GSA,” said Manuela Gerlof, Chief Publishing Officer, De Gruyter Brill. “We are excited to support emerging voices in the field and help bring their work to a global audience as part of our renowned publishing program in German Studies.

The submission deadline for the 2026 prize is November 1, 2025.

Find more information on how to apply here.

De Gruyter Brill is a global publishing leader in the humanities and beyond. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with its second-largest office in Leiden, The Netherlands, De Gruyter Brill publishes over 3,500 books and 800 journals annually, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences while covering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Established in 2024 through the merger of De Gruyter (founded in 1749) and Brill (founded in 1683), De Gruyter Brill is a family-owned, independent publisher committed to curating indispensable research that breaks boundaries, builds new bonds, and shapes a better future. For more information, please visit degruyterbrill.com.

The German Studies Association is the multi- and interdisciplinary association of scholars in German, Austrian, and Swiss history, literature, culture studies, political science, and economics. GSA holds an annual conference and publishes a scholarly journal, the German Studies Review. Members are generally professors and advanced students at universities and colleges in North America, although there are several hundred members in Europe and Asia. Membership is open to anyone. The GSA is a member of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). For more information, please visit thegsa.org.