Geiss Hsu Book Prizes in Ming Studies

With the generous support of the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation, the Society for Ming Studies (SMS) has established two book prizes: Best First Book and Best Overall Book. These prizes recognize outstanding English-language monographs on Ming China (1368–1644) and its global connections. A committee of senior Ming specialists from diverse disciplines […]

Travel Grants for Ming Studies Scholars Attending AAS 2026

The James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation has awarded the Association for Asian Studies $20,000 to fund participation for Ming Studies scholars at the AAS 2026 Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada. The James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private, not-for-profit foundation which encourages and sponsors scholarly research and interpretation of […]

Fall 2025 Awards

The Board of Directors of the James P. Geiss & Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation is delighted to announce six awards supporting projects that advance the field of Ming studies: CONFERENCES The Great Entanglement:  Reframing East Eurasian Histories in the Longue Durée  | Shoufu Yin, University of British Columbia, and Mara Yue Du, Cornell University | March […]

Apply for a Fellowship!

The National Humanities Center and GHF are partnering to provide a residential fellowship to a scholar studying the Ming dynasty or of adjacent regions and time periods. The NHC invites applications for academic-year or semester-long residential fellowships. Fellows enjoy private studies, in-house dining, and superb library services that deliver all types of research materials while they are in residence.Mid-career, senior, and […]

Spring 2025 Awards

The Board of Directors of the James P. Geiss & Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation is delighted to announce nine awards made during the spring application cycle: SUBVENTIONS Observing the Unseen: Curiosity and Common Knowledge in Early Modern China by Andrew Schonebaum I University of Washington Press, forthcoming December 2025 Observing the Unseen explores perspectives in early-modern China around […]

The National Humanities Center Announces 2025–26 Geiss Hsu Fellow

The National Humanities Center (NHC) recently announced the appointment of Ruiying Gao, assistant professor of the history of art and architecture at Wake Forest University, as the Geiss Hsu Fellow for the 2025–26 academic year. Professor Gao will join 31 other leading scholars who will come to the Center from universities and colleges in 13 US states and the District of […]