Purpose
The M. Crawford Young Award in African Politics supports graduate students conducting field research on African politics.
Eligibility
Preference will be given to international students and to students from underrepresented groups or populations. While the fund will primarily support political science students, students who fit these criteria from other areas on campus may be considered.
Award Details
Award amount varies, typically ranging from $1,000-$2500.
Application details
To apply for the award, please send a 1-page description of the field research you plan on conducting and a C.V. as a single PDF to Young__.3h38cugbrmi8xp0o@u.box.com by March 1.
About M. Crawford Young
Crawford Young (Political Science) was a scholar of African politics who specialized in the study of central Africa. He authored nearly a dozen books and edited or contributed to dozens more. Several of his books are pioneering texts and classics in the study of the African state and the politics of cultural identity. He was a central figure in the creation of the university’s African Studies Program. His critical early leadership and support helped the program thrive and provided him with an interdisciplinary community of scholars that nurtured his work. He remained actively engaged with the program until his death.
Prof. Young earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1953 and a doctorate from Harvard University in 1964. He joined the faculty at UW–Madison in 1963, retiring in 2001. Prof. Young served two terms as director of the African Studies Program in the 1960s. Later, he twice chaired the Department of Political Science, and he served as acting dean of the College of Letters & Science in 1992-93. Among his many national and international honors, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1998, and he served as president of the African Studies Association in 1982-83. He was a visiting professor in African Studies at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, in 1965-66, and served as dean of the faculty of social science at the National University of Zaire in Lubumbashi from 1973-1975.
Prof. Young’s impact went far beyond his academic research. He was known for his encouragement, support and mentorship of generations of graduate students and young faculty members. This student award celebrates both the generosity of his spirit and intellectual legacy of his scholarship.
Funding to support this annual award comes from the friends, family, and former students of Prof. Young. You can also honor his legacy by making a donation to the UW Foundation M. Crawford Young Fellowship Fund in African Politics – 132700022.