The Benjamin A. Most Award was established in 1986 to support research and any related research collection in the area of international relations of a Bloomington campus graduate student in the Department of Political Science.

Benjamin A. Most received his Ph.D in Political Science from Indiana University in 1979 and went on to teach and research at the University of Iowa. Benjamin was a recognized expert in the study of war and international conflict, especially in the application of geo-political models and approaches to war, the study of boarders and the analysis of the diffusion of violent conflict. His interests and expertise also ranged across the study of public policy and the policy process, comparative politics and methodology, having published articles on authoritarianism, public policy, and resource allocation in Latin America. At the time of his untimely death on November 10, 1986, he was only beginning to make his mark on the study of international relations, policy and methodology. This memorial fund was established at the request of his family.