The Catt Center is accepting applications for the 2025 Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics through Nov. 17, 2025.
This annual competition is designed to encourage and reward scholars embarking on significant research in gender and politics. Since the first prize was awarded in 1994, 148 projects proposed by 192 researchers have been supported with a total of $176,000.
Research projects may address any topic related to women and politics. This includes proposals in the areas of civic education and engagement and in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Scholars at any level may apply, from graduate students to tenured faculty members as well as adjunct faculty and independent researchers.
The prize includes a $2,500 cash award for each project selected. Honorable mention prizes of up to $1,200 per project may also be awarded. Winners will be announced and awards disbursed in February 2026.
To be considered for the 2025 prize, applicants must complete the online submission form by 11:59 p.m. CST on November 17, 2025. Information required on the form includes contact information and a biographical statement (750-character limit) for each author and a project description in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format.
The project description is to be 5-10 pages in length, double-spaced in 12-point font and comprised of the following elements: proposal title; 150-200 word abstract summarizing the project’s purpose and content; discussion of relevant theory, contributions to literature in the field and methodology (other relevant information may also be included); statement and itemized budget describing how the Catt Prize will contribute to the research project; and timetable for completion of the project, taking into consideration the February 2026 disbursement of awards. The project description should also include a reference list, which is not counted in the 5-10 page limit. As proposals are double-blind peer reviewed, do not include identifying information such as author names or institutions in the project description.
For more information, contact the center at cattcntr@iastate.edu.