The deadline to apply for the 2025 Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship was April 1, 2025. Please check back this fall for the 2026 nomination procedures. See below for information on award eligibility.

HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

Written by Judith Lorber, read about Beth B. Hess’s groundbreaking work at the Jewish Women’s Archive. 

The SWS Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to an advanced sociology Ph.D. student, preferably in the last year of their program, who began their study in a community college or technical school. A student advanced to candidacy (ABD status) in an accredited Ph.D. program in sociology is eligible to apply if they studied at a U.S. two-year college either part-time or full-time for the equivalent of at least one full academic year that was not part of a high-school dual-enrollment or enrichment program. Students who attended the international equivalent of a U.S. two-year college are also welcome to apply.

The Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship is an SWS award that also receives support from The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) and the American Sociological Association (ASA) as a result of Beth B. Hess’s significant contributions to the discipline and corresponding associations. In addition to her other contributions, SWS also honors her roles as a founding member of Gender & Society and as a mentor (recipient of SWS’s coveted award in 1997).  

The Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship of $18,000 (for the academic year) is from Sociologists for Women in Society. The award recipient will also receive a certificate from SWS, a $500 travel grant to attend SWS’s annual Winter Meeting, a $500 travel grant to attend ASA’s and SSSP’s annual summer meeting, and a one-year complimentary SWS membership. The $18,000 is disbursed in two payments during the academic year ($9000 by August 31st and $9000 at the annual Winter Meeting). 

The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) also honors the awardee with a one-year complimentary membership and waived meeting registration for their Annual Meeting, where the awardee and honorable mention will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony. SSSP also provides a $300 stipend to be used toward travel to their annual summer meeting. 

ASA joins SWS and SSSP in honoring the awardee by providing  a one year of membership, a $500 travel award, and waived registration for the ASA Annual Meeting.

Summary Table of Award Benefits

From SWS From SSSP From ASA
$18K scholarship Not applicable Not applicable
SWS award certificate Electronic certificates and recipients will be recognized during the SSSP Awards Ceremony Includes awardee in programs for its fellowship recipients
$500 travel grant to attend SWS annual meeting where awardee is honored Complimentary meeting registration at SSSP annual meeting Complimentary meeting registration at ASA annual meeting
$500 travel grant to attend ASA & SSSP annual meetings $300 travel stipend to attend SSSP annual meeting $500 travel stipend to attend ASA annual meeting*
1-year complimentary SWS membership 1-year complimentary SSSP membership 1-year complimentary ASA membership

*Summer travel stipends combined means that award recipient has up to $1,300 to defray the cost of travel to ASA and SSSP annual meetings.

A Note on Honorable Mention Awardees

Up to two honorable mention awardees may be selected. A total of $3,500 award is available for the honorable mention awardee (an amount shared if two awardees are selected). Honorable mention awardees receive a complimentary one-year SWS membership and are celebrated at the SWS annual meeting. Honorable mention awardees are required to submit a report (1 page max) on the work completed during the scholarship year and how the funds were spent no later than August 30 of the year following the award. This report should be emailed to the Awards Chair at: awards@socwomen.org.

WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR
  • Commitment to teaching, especially at a community college or other institution serving under-represented and historically marginalized students.
  • Research and/or activism in social inequality, social justice, or social problems, with a focus on gender and/or gerontology being especially positive.
  • Service to the academic and/or local community, including mentoring.
  • High quality research and writing in the application.

The award is intended to provide support to a student in the last year of their program. Applicants should have completed data collection and be at the final writing stage of the dissertation. Candidates who are already in the writing stage and apparently near completion will be prioritized.

All previous applicants, including honorable mention awardees, remain eligible to re-apply one more time.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RECIPIENT
  • Attend the SWS annual Winter Meeting. The recipient receives complimentary registration and a $500 stipend to cover travel expenses to this meeting. If the award recipient needs assistance with arranging their travel to the annual meeting, they can contact the Executive Officer, and the travel arrangements will be made on their behalf using the travel stipend.
  • Submit a brief report (3 pages max) on the work completed during the scholarship year and how the funds were spent, no later than August 30th, about 1 month after the end of the award period. This report should be emailed to the Awards Committee Chair at awards@socwomen.org.

THE APPLICATION

The nomination deadline for the 2025 award was April 1, 2025. The 2025 award will be presented at the 75th Annual Meeting, August 8-10, 2025.

For questions/inquiries, please contact the Awards Committee Chair at awards@socwomen.org.