The American Historical Association is pleased to announce the expansion of the William Gilbert Award for the Best Article on History Teaching. Starting this year, the award will be conferred annually and the winning author of the article as well as the journal that publishes it will each receive $1,000. These changes will (we hope) encourage journals to accept more articles on the teaching of history.

Edwyna Gilbert, a professor of English at the University of Kansas, established the award in the memory of her late husband, a historian, in 1995. Her goal was both to promote history teaching and to encourage journals to seek essays on pedagogy for publication. She passed away last May, leaving an additional $110,000 to supplement the original $10,000 bequest for the award. After due consideration, the AHA’s Teaching Division decided to expand the award in a way that seems consistent with her original wishes. And in recognition of her very generous support of the award, the Division and the AHA Council agreed to change the name to the “William and Edwyna Gilbert Award.”

For the 2012 award, articles by AHA members published between June 1, 2011, and May 31, 2012, may be nominated for consideration. We will accept nominations from both journals and individual members for articles on the teaching of history (including scholarship of teaching and learning, methodology, and theory of pedagogy). Journals, magazines, and other serials can submit up to two articles for each award cycle. Each nominator is required to provide a brief letter of support (no more than two pages) with the article.

Nominations can be submitted in either print or electronic form. If you are submitting in paper form, please send six copies of the letter of support and article to Gilbert Award Coordinator, American Historical Association, 400 A St., SE, Washington, DC 20003. Electronic submissions of the same materials should be sent by e-mail to rtownsend@historians.org. Nominations must be submitted by July 15, 2012. Entries will not be returned. No faxes will be accepted.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.