The Dan David Prize

The Dan David Prize is the world’s largest history prize, annually awarding 9 prizes of $300,000 each to early and midcareer scholars and practitioners in the historical disciplines, to acknowledge their outstanding achievements and support future work.

Nominees can come from any field related to the study of the human past, both within academia and outside it.

We are looking for researchers in disciplines such as history, archaeology, art history, digital humanities and human palaeontology, as well as independent scholars, public historians, museum curators and documentary filmmakers.

The Dan David Prize holds an open nomination process to collect a pool of candidates. Anyone can nominate. Self-nominations will not be considered. The Dan David Prize board will determine the winners based on a shortlist of finalists compiled by a dedicated international selection committee.

Nominees for the Dan David Prize

• Must be engaged in outstanding and original work related to the study of the human past, employing any chronological, geographical and methodological focus.

• Should exhibit strong potential for future excellence, innovation and leadership that will help shape the study of the past for years to come.

• Academic nominees must hold a PhD and must have published at least one major piece of work, such as a book or a collection of articles related to a major project.

• Non-academic nominees are NOT required to hold a PhD, but must have completed at least one major piece of work such as a book, major publication, exhibition, documentary film or public humanities project. They should also demonstrate an ongoing engagement with topics related to history and the study of the past.

• Should be no more than 15 years post-PhD (for academics) or 15 years after the release of their first major project (for non-academics), although due allowance will be made for career breaks (e.g. parental and care leave or duties, health-related leave and career changes). 

Nominators will be asked to provide the nominee’s CV and list of relevant work or publications, and to answer three brief questions.

The Dan David Prize is awarded on the basis of merit, regardless of gender identity and expression, sexuality, race, ethnicity and nationality, religion, age, ability or political affiliation.