University of Minnesota Professor Tanisha Fazal named 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellow

University of Minnesota Political Science Professor Tanisha Fazal has been named a 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program’s goal is to support scholarly research in the humanities and social sciences that addresses important and enduring issues confronting society. Fazal is one of 26 fellows selected this year out of 311 people nominated.

The fellowship carries a $200,000 stipend, making it possible for recipients to devote up to two years to significant research and writing. It is one of the most generous awards of its kind supporting scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. 

Fazal’s award will support her research and eventual publication of a book titled “Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War.” In the book, she investigates how dramatic improvements in military medicine, alongside expansion of veterans’ benefits, have increased the long-term costs of war for the U.S. today. 

“We tend to think about the decision to deploy military force abroad as a cost-benefit analysis,” said Fazal. “But the costs side of the ledger typically focuses on fatalities and war materiel more so than the human and financial costs of caring for the war wounded, which have risen dramatically over recent decades.”

This book will be published against the backdrop of increased U.S. tensions with other great powers, and as the United States tries to conclude its “forever wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fazal plans to share her findings broadly, with extensive public writings as well as briefings to military and policy communities.

“Receiving a 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship is a well-deserved recognition for Professor Fazal, a world-class scholar whose research elevates Minnesota and society as a whole,” said President Joan Gabel. “We appreciate and celebrate this generous support that amplifies her depth and breadth of expertise in international security.”

A leading scholar of international relations, Fazal has been a professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts for four years. She is the author of two award-winning books: "State Death: The Politics and Geography of Conquest, Occupation, and Annexation" and "Wars of Law: Unintended Consequences in the Regulation of Armed Conflict." In addition to her numerous publications in major academic journals spanning several disciplines, Fazal is a frequent public commentator on international security issues. 

Launched in 2015, the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program has funded a total of 216 scholars, journalists, and authors, representing an investment of $43.2 million. The program focuses on subjects such as U.S. democracy, the environment, technological and cultural evolution, and international relations. The criteria prioritize the originality and promise of the research, its potential impact on the field, and the scholar’s plans for communicating the findings to a broad audience.