The Edgar S. Furniss Book Award commemorates the founding director of the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at the Ohio State University. The award is conferred on a first book in English that makes an exceptional contribution to the understanding of international, national, and/or human security.
The committee will consider single-authored first books from any relevant discipline. Submissions will be evaluated for original research, persuasive interpretation, theoretical contribution, and implications for policy or practice.
Books by current Mershon Center affiliates and former Mershon postdocs are not eligible for submission. Books translated from languages other than English are eligible, provided they are the author's first book.
The recipient is invited to visit Ohio State for the award presentation and an accompanying lecture; there is also a $2000 cash prize. Recipients since the award's inception in 1982 may be found here.
How to submit
Nominations for the Furniss Book Award are accepted each year for books published in the previous year. For the current cycle, each nominated book must be copyrighted in 2022 and received no later than April 30, 2023.
We accept digital submissions from authors and publishers. Please send a PDF of the nominated book, or download instructions valid for four readers, to
Kyle McCray
Business and Operations Manager
Mershon Center for International Security Studies
mccray.44@osu.edu
The publisher of a book that is selected for the Furniss Award must send the Mershon Center a hard copy upon request for our display of the winning books.