Call for Abstracts: Knowledge of AIDS manuscript workshop
In the last fifteen years there has been a groundswell of public interest in the history of HIV/AIDS among the American public, represented by everything from the success of the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club to the TV series Pose to Beyoncé's tribute to her uncle Johnny, who died with AIDS in 1998, on the 2022 hit track "Heated." However, despite this public attention, and despite a burgeoning historical literature on HIV/AIDS, much work remains to be done by historians of the United States to examine the diverse and complex histories of the epidemic.
To promote the development of high-quality historical scholarship in the field, the Knowledge of AIDS Research Collaboration Network seeks abstracts for article-length works on the history of HIV/AIDS in the United States for a manuscript development workshop, to be held concurrently with the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians (OAH), April 16-19, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Abstracts will be evaluated on a competitive basis, and up to ten will be selected to receive extensive, formative feedback from two reviewers from the following list:
- Jennie Brier (University of Illinois-Chicago)
- Jih-Fei Cheng (Scripps College)
- Evelynn Hammonds (Harvard University)
- Theodore (ted) Kerr (Independent Scholar)
- Dan Royles (Binghamton University)
We welcome submissions that deal with any aspect of this history, including (but not limited to) those that use methods from social, political, cultural, medical, and transnational history. We also welcome abstracts for dissertation chapters, book chapters, journal articles, and long-form journalism. Scholars at all career stages, both inside and outside the academy, including graduate students, recent PhDs, contingent faculty, and independent scholars, are encouraged to apply.
Manuscript authors will have the opportunity to meet with reviewers either in person Philadelphia during the OAH annual meeting or virtually at a mutually convenient time in late April 2026. Those who meet with reviewers in person during the OAH annual meeting will receive a $100 stipend to defray the cost of participation.
The deadline for abstract submission is 11:59 pm on Sunday, November 30, 2025. Selections will be made by manuscript reviewers, and applicants notified, by the end of December. Full submissions of ~25 pages will be due no later than March 15, 2026.
In order to apply, please submit a one-page abstract, along with a CV, using this Google form.