Student and Research Prizes

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

New Researchers Conference

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

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.

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 2026 prize round, the thesis will need to have been awarded in the Academic Year 2025-26.

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;
  • Content page for 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 202-26 session prize is 1st December 2026 

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

 

Congratulations to our 2025 Prize winner

Congratulations to Jean-Marc Hill of the University of Cambridge for Subjecthood and Sovereignty among the ‘Real’ and ‘Imagined’ Pirates of a ‘Golden Age’, 1690-1705.

Read the abstract here. 

Find out about previous prize winners here. 

For further information please contact  the Hon Secretary.