On the Brinck | Places Prize

On the Brink

 

 

We are pleased to announce that proposals are now being accepted for the latest On the Brinck | Places Prize.

A collaboration between Places Journal and the On the Brinck program at the School of Architecture + Planning at University of New Mexico, this prize supports ambitious public scholarship focused on the Southwestern region of what is now the United States. In doing so, the prize extends the goals of the school’s On the Brinck Book Awards, dedicated to “emphasizing new and overlooked areas of study, challenging existing scholarship, integrating allied disciplines, and appealing to a broad readership,” in the spirit of landscape writer and critic John Brinckerhoff Jackson.

Award Details

The winner of the On the Brinck | Places Prize will receive an honorarium of $7,500 to research and write a major work of public scholarship for publication in Places Journal, and present a related public lecture at the SA+P at University of New Mexico. The prize is open to institutionally affiliated as well as independent scholars and journalists.

Application Requirements

  • Current CV.
  • A sample of published writing, ideally an article-length work of public scholarship (see below).
  • A brief proposal of no more than 500 words, describing your prospective article.
  • A cover letter outlining the significance of the proposed topic, both within and beyond the Southwestern U.S.

Application Deadline

Applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm Pacific Time on Friday, July 17, 2026.

Applications should be submitted by email to onthebrinck@placesjournal.org; please put “On the Brinck | Places Prize” in the subject line. Writing samples that exceed the file size of an email attachment should be submitted via a file-sharing system referencing the same email address.

Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated and the winner selected by members of the On the Brinck | Places Prize Committee, comprising faculty at University of New Mexico, and the editors of Places.

We strongly encourage applicants to browse the journal, and to read about our commitment to public scholarship, prior to submission. Applicants are also encouraged to read the inaugural prize essay, “A Theology of Smuggling,” by Caroline Tracey.

The award recipient will be announced in September 2026.