New Researchers Conference

Research degree students and independent scholars are warmly encouraged to share their work at our annual New Researchers Conference.

Student and Research Prizes

Are you a student working on maritime history? Apply for our Undergraduate and Postgraduate prizes.

Doctoral Prize

Award for the Best Thesis

 

The annual Boydell & Brewer Prize for the best doctoral thesis in maritime history was established by BCMH in 2010.

Subjects eligible for consideration reflect the Commission’s view of maritime history as a wide-ranging discipline.

The prize winner for 2023 will be announced in May 2024 (this relates to thesis awarded in 2022-23).

 

How to make a nomination

Nominations may be submitted by the candidate, or by their supervisor. All doctorates must have been awarded by a UK university during the academic year preceding the prize. So for the current 2024 prize round, the thesis will need to have been awarded in the Academic Year 2023-24.

Judging is by a Prize Committee, whose decision is final. The prize winner receives a cheque for £200, which is normally presented by the representative of Boydell & Brewer at the annual ‘New Researchers in Maritime History’ conference. The prize winner also has the option of having their thesis considered for publication in a revised form by Boydell & Brewer.

Nominations should include in the first instance the following:

  • The name of the prize candidate, the title of the thesis, the awarding university, and the date of the award;
  • The Abstract of the thesis;
  • A chapter from the thesis;
  • A covering letter from the supervisor of no more than 500 words, stating why the thesis is so outstanding that it should be considered for a prize;
  • Contact details for the prize candidate and their supervisor.

If the Prize Committee deems that the thesis merits serious consideration, a copy may be requested. Please note that we will be unable to return this.

*The Closing date for nominations for the 2023-24 session prize is 1st December 2024 

To nominate a thesis please complete the Doctoral Prize Form and upload supporting documents here.

 

Congratulations to our 2022 Prize winner

Jake Dyble (Exeter and Pisa) is the winner of the 2022 Doctoral Prize for their thesis on  ‘Average-Transaction Costs and Risk Management During the First Globalisation (16th-18th Centuries)’. Download the abstract

Find out about previous prize winners here

For further information please contact  the Hon Secretary