Two Harvard Kennedy School professors will receive grants of up to $100,000 after being named 2009 Carnegie Scholars yesterday by the Carnegie Corporation of New York for their research on Islam and dedication to public outreach and understanding.

This was the first time that two Kennedy School professors were chosen in the same year, said Patricia L. Rosenfield, program director for the Carnegie Scholars program.

Associate Professors Asim I. Khwaja and Tarek Masoud are among 24 scholars who will receive the two-year grant to pursue their research projects.

Masoud said that he plans on using the money to analyze Islamist political parties, and to examine the nature of elections in the Middle East.

“I will look at how it may be less about Islamist appeal in these countries, but more about their ability to mobilize a narrow constituency to go over the threshold to win in an area,” said Masoud. “Some scholars have thought that Islam influences people to vote [in favor of Islamist parties], but I think the more proximate cause is micro level variables on the ground in these elections.”

Khwaja said in a press release that his research will apply economics to study the social, cultural, and ethical outlooks of the pilgrimage to Mecca.

“I hope that my research on the impact of the Hajj pilgrimage on the pilgrim will inform the wider academic debate on the nature and interaction of religious and non-religious beliefs in Islam,” he said in the press release.

The Carnegie Scholars program has focused on Islam for the last four years, but this is the final year with this theme. “There is a deep public interest and need to have some clarifying work that would illuminate understanding of Islam and Muslim societies,” said Rosenfield.

Scholars are selected through a year-long process in which they are nominated by academics and scholars in the field, who are asked to select “the most creative and gifted minds,” according to Rosenfield.

Both internal and external committees further review applicants to make the final decision.

“The [applicant’s] proposal has to be academically sound and show command in their field,” said Rosenfield. “They need to make their project different, and show that this isn’t just one more project on jihad.”

Rosenfield added that she was particularly interested to see the findings that the two Kennedy School professors would produce.

“The two Harvard scholars this year are doing completely different and fascinating projects,” said Rosenfield. “I’d like to think this new creative work will change perception and knowledge in the field.”