The British Association for American Studies was founded in 1955. It exists to promote, support and encourage the study of the United States in the Universities, Colleges and Schools of the United Kingdom, and by independent scholars. It welcomes application forms from all those engaged in or connected with the study of the United States.

Welcome to the website for the British Association for American Studies. The website is intended to be the hub of the BAAS community with information on our awards, annual conferences, schools’ liaison work, calls for papers, publications, job listings, related research networks and a media contacts database through which we can share our expertise and increase our visibility. We continue to include BAAS news, resources and links, as well as information on our committee structures. 

Call for Contributions: American Studies in the UK, 2000-2010

The British Association for American Studies, in association with the Fulbright Commission, is embarking on an important new research project tracing the development of American Studies in the UK between 2000 and 2010. The project will produce a contemporary census document and a historical resource for future scholars.

Alongside statistical data, the report will also include commentary and case studies, involving a wide range of voices and experiences. Contributions are therefore invited from all sections of the American Studies community in the UK, including researchers, lecturers, administrators, teachers and students. Contributors are asked to respond to the central question: In what ways did American Studies in the UK change between 2000 and 2010?

Submissions, from individuals or institutions, may wish to address, amongst other matters, the following issues: 

• The impact, on American Studies in the UK, of the decade’s political events, including 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the presidencies of Clinton, Bush and Obama.
• Structural changes in higher education, such as tuition fees, and the priorities of research councils and other funding bodies.
• The development of new research themes and disciplinary models.
• The emergence of new research centres and resources.
• Changes in institutional or departmental focus.
• Experience of international exchange and outreach projects.
• Key publications in the period.

Contributions, which could be informal notes or more structured text, should total no more than 1000 words. Submissions may be quoted or excerpted (with due credit) in the final report. Please send to Richard Martin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The final report will be presented at the BAAS Annual Conference in Manchester in April 2012, and will be published as an open-access document on the BAAS website.