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 In order to promote and highlight excellence in research, the Syrian Studies Association awards annual prizes for the best writing on Bilad al-Sham until 1918 and on Syria following that.In 2014, the SSA seeks submissions for the most outstanding doctoral dissertation and article submitted/published between September 1, 2012 (for dissertations)/July 1, 2013 (for articles) and July 1, 2014.In order to be considered for the prize, candidates must join the association. Information about the Syrian Studies Association is available at: http://www.ou.edu/ssa/index.htmlSubmissions in languages other than English are welcomed.Articles should be sent electronically.The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2014. All submissions should be sent to Thomas Pierret, Chair of the Prize Committee at thomas.pierret1@gmail.com. Winners will be announced at the SSA annual meeting in November 2014. Inquiries can be directed to Thomas.