The Cyprian Davis, O.S.B., Award
In partnership with the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA), the Cushwa Center offers the Cyprian Davis, O.S.B., Award recognizing works in progress that promise to make significant contributions to the study of the Black Catholic experience in North America and the Caribbean from the colonial period to the 20th century.
Established in 2020, this award celebrates the life and legacy of Father Cyprian Davis, O.S.B. (1930–2015), a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, respected scholar, and beloved teacher and lecturer. Father Davis served as archivist for the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, of which he was a founding member in 1968. Among his six books, The History of Black Catholics in the United States (Crossroad, 1990) won the John Gilmary Shea Prize for its groundbreaking contribution. Father Davis’s comprehensive history helped restore the stories of Black Catholics to the writing and teaching of U.S. Catholic history. It continues to inspire new scholarship on African American Catholicism.
The center invites applications from scholars of any academic discipline. In addition to receiving a cash award of $1,000, each year’s Davis Award recipient is invited to the annual meeting of the ACHA to be recognized along with other honorees of the association.
The next application deadline is December 31, 2026.
Application Procedures
Applications require the following materials:
- a current curriculum vitae;
- a project description (up to 1,000 words).
Applicants also complete a brief online form, including a project summary of up to 200 words.
Notification
Applicants will be notified by March 1.
Conditions
Award recipients will be asked to:
- Acknowledge support from the Cushwa Center and the American Catholic Historical Association in any publications arising from the award-supported research and notify the Cushwa Center of those publications;
- Submit a brief report to cushwa@nd.edu within 24 months of receiving the award, summarizing research conducted and progress toward any anticipated publications or other scholarly outcomes.