APA: David W. Concepción Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching Grant

The David W. Concepción Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching, awarded by the American Philosophical Association, recognizes outstanding contributions to student learning in philosophy. Open to any APA member, it aims to honor educators who significantly influence undergraduate and pre-college students. The award includes a $1,500 prize and a plaque, presented annually at an APA divisional meeting. Nominations can be submitted by members, with specific eligibility criteria outlined for applicants.

NOTE: The nomination and selection process will be overseen by a selection committee consisting of members of the APA committee on the teaching of philosophy and one volunteer member of the APA committee on lectures, publications, and research who has an interest in teaching, and members of the American Association of Philosophy Teachers and Teaching Philosophy Association. The selection committee will be constituted such that those members representing the APA make up more than one-third of its members, with representatives of AAPT and TPA making up less than one-third each.
Letter of Inquiry - Round 1- The APA committee on the teaching of philosophy will send a call for nominations through an email to APA members from the APA administrative office. Self-nominations are welcome. This deadline is represented by the Self Nomination.Full Proposal - Invite Only - Round 2 - After reviewing the nomination letters, the selection committee will invite no fewer than two and no more than five finalists to submit detailed information. This deadline represents the Full Application.
David W. Concepción Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching
The David W. Concepción Prize for ExcelleDavid W. Concepciónnce in Philosophy Teaching, sponsored by the American Philosophical Association (APA), the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT), and the Teaching Philosophy Association (TPA), recognizes a philosophy teacher who has had a profound impact on the student learning of philosophy in undergraduate and/or pre-college settings. The David W. Concepción Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching was formerly known as the Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching. The name of the prize was changed in 2024 in honor of Dr. Concepción.
Dr. David W. Concepción is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Ball State University, where he has been on the faculty since 2002. He is also editor of the journal AAPT Studies in Pedagogy. Concepción has served as chair of the APA Committee on Teaching Philosophy and a member of the APA board of officers (2018–2021) and was instrumental in founding the prize. His work in philosophy teaching extends beyond the APA as well, as he is a past president of the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT).
Award Amount: $1,500 and a plaque
The APA committee on the teaching of philosophy will present the award during the annual prize reception at an APA divisional meeting.

Eligibility

Open to any APA member who has an impact on student learning in undergraduate and/or pre-college settings.
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Open to any APA member who has an impact on student learning in undergraduate and/or pre-college settings.

Ineligibility

Previous winners are not eligible for a second award.A conflict of interest exists when a committee member has a financial, professional, personal, or other interest that could reasonably be perceived as impacting how that committee member contributes to the decision making process. If a committee member feels that they might be compelled to advocate for a nominee because of a relationship with a nominee, then there is a conflict of interest. Specifically, a committee member has a conflict of interest when:any financial interest is impacted by that person’s work on the committee
any close colleague (e.g., PhD advisor/advisee, department member, co-author) is impacted by that person’s work on the committee
any family member or other person one is in a significant relationship with is impacted by that person’s work on the committeeIn cases that are not immediately clear, the committee, minus the person who may have a potential conflict, will fact-find and determine whether a relationship is “significant” or a colleague is “close.”