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Prizes awarded by the World History Association
Thanks to generous support by former and current members of the World History Association, we are able to make several annual awards and offer prizes to individuals working in the field of world history at all levels of education. Descriptions each of these awards and prizes are listed below. Please the list that follows to "jump" to the relevant description:
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World History Association Pioneer Award
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World History Association Jerry H. Bentley Book Prize
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World History Association Dissertation Prize
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World History Association/Phi Alpha Theta Undergraduate & Graduate Student Paper Prize
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World Historian Student Essay Prize​​
Bloomsbury-WHA Monograph Prize (the Diversity in World History Monograph Prize)
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World History Connected article of the year
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World History Association Pioneer Award
The annual World Association Pioneer Award, presented at the annual WHA’s annual conference, recognizes the extraordinary contributions of an individual(s) to world history studies that have significantly advanced the field. The award has been made since 2009. Nominations may be made by any WHA member in good standing.
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Previous recipients of the Pioneer Award include:
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2024: Marc Jason Gilbert
2023: Bennett Sherry and Merry Wiesner-Hanks
2022: Bob Bain and Heather Streets-Salter
2021: Connie Hudgeons and Kerry Ward
2019: Carter V. Findley and Deborah Smith Johnston
2018: Roger B. Beck and Linda J. Black
2017: Craig Lockard and David Northrup
2016: Anand Yang and Howard Spodek
2015: Sharon Cohen and Candice Goucher
2014: Alfred J. Andrea and John R. McNeill
2013: Ane Dulac Lindvedt and Patrick Manning
2012: Ross E. Dunn and Michele V. Forman
2011: Liu Xincheng and Jerry H. Bentley
2010: Heidi Roupp and Kevin Reilly
2009: Alfred W. Crosby and William H. McNeill
Deadline for nominations: April 1, 2026
Announcement of the award: will be made at the WHA annual conference in the year following nominations
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World History Association Jerry H. Bentley Book Prize
The World History Association Book Prize was created in 1999 to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of world history. In 2012, it was renamed in memory of former WHA member and founding and longtime editor of the Journal of World History Jerry H. Bentley (1949-2012) and his significant contributions to the field of world history and the World History Association.
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It is astonishing to see how many books that have become classics in the field of world history have been awarded this prize. At the World History Association, we are immensely proud that we have played a part in recognizing the importance and the innovative nature of this work.
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Authors, publishers, WHA members, or other interested parties may nominate books published during a calendar year. Please note that only books published in the immediately preceding calendar year are eligible (e.g., only books published in 2026 are eligible for the 2027 prize.).
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​​​​The winner of the Book Prize will receive an award of $500. Formal bestowal of the prize is made at the WHA annual meeting, normally held in June or July. A one-year membership in the WHA and a certificate will also be included with each prize.
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In the event that the Book Prize Committee considers the quality of the entries does not warrant the awarding of any prize, the Committee shall have the right to make no award available.
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Deadline for nominations: February 1
Announcement of the award: will be made at the WHA annual conference in June of each year.
Jerry H. Bentley
(1949-2012)
World History Association Dissertation Prize
The World History Association awards the annual WHA Dissertation Prize for the best doctoral dissertation in world, global, or transnational history. The award has been made since 2014.
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The World History Association awards the annual WHA Dissertation Prize for the best doctoral dissertation in world, global, or transnational history—that is, one that examines any historical issue with global implications, including but not limited to the exchange and interchange of cultures, the comparison of two or more civilizations or cultures, or the study in a macrohistorical manner of a phenomenon that had a global impact.
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The Dissertation Prize inner will receive a $500 award, a certificate, and a one-year membership to the World History Association.
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The Dissertation Prize Committee will determine the winner of the prize and any honorable mentions. In the event that the committee considers that the quality of the entries does not warrant the awarding of any prize, it reserves the right to make no award.
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If you have questions about the prize or these guidelines, please contact the WHA at info@thewha.org
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Deadline for submissions: October 1, 2026
Eligibility: To be eligible for the 2026 prize, the dissertation must have been defended as part of Ph.D. or equivalent degree between the dates of 31 August 2025 and 30 August 2026. Eligible candidates are allowed to submit once, not multiple years.
Submissions must include:
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a cover letter or contact information sheet, including name, professional or home address, email, telephone and name of PhD granting institution
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an abstract
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a PDF file of the full dissertation. All dissertation submissions must be in the English language.
Late entries and submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will be disqualified.
Announcement of the award: will be made at the WHA’s 2027 conference if the awardee is attending.
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World History Association/Phi Alpha Theta
Undergraduate & Graduate Student Paper Prize
Since the 2000-2001 academic year, the World History Association and Phi Alpha Theta jointly sponsor two student paper prizes in world history. The WHA/ΦΑΘ Student Paper Prizes are awarded for the best undergraduate and best graduate-level world history papers composed in the academic year.
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A world history paper is one that examines any historical issue with global implications. Such studies can include, but are not limited to, the exchange and interchange of cultures, the comparison of two or more civilizations or cultures, or the study in a macro-historical manner of a phenomenon that had a global impact. For example, world history topics might include a study of the trans-cultural impact of Eurasia’s Silk Road; a comparative study of the Ottoman and British empires; or the worldwide impact of the Influenza Pandemic of 1918.
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The Committee will judge papers according to the following criteria: world historical scope; originality of research; depth of analysis; and prose style.
Cash awards in the amount of $250 are each given for the best undergraduate world history paper and the best graduate-level world history paper composed in the academic year. A one-year membership in the World History Association and a certificate will also be included with each prize.
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Deadline: All submissions must be received by May 15
Eligibility: To be eligible, students must have composed the paper while enrolled at an accredited college or university during the 2025–2026 academic year, and either they or the faculty member who taught the course must be members of either the World History Association or Phi Alpha Theta.
Submission Guidelines:
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Submissions must be no longer than 30 typewritten, double-spaced pages of text, exclusive of the title page, endnotes, and bibliography.
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All pages should be numbered, except for the title page.
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Endnotes must conform to standard historical formats. Do not use parenthetical notes.
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The author’s identity is to appear nowhere on the paper.
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A separate, unattached page should accompany the paper, identifying the author, title of paper, home address, telephone number, e-mail address, college affiliation, graduating year and status (undergraduate or graduate student), and the association ( WHA or ΦΑΘ ) to which the person belongs. Phi Alpha Theta members must indicate the institution at which they were inducted and the year.
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A one-page (250-word) abstract must accompany each submission. Abstracts of winning papers will be published in all announcements of competition results.
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Additionally, a letter or e-mail from a relevant history faculty member (the supervising professor, the chair of the department, or the Phi Alpha Theta chapter advisor) must attest to the fact that the paper was composed during the preceding academic year.
Papers that do not adhere to these guidelines will be disqualified.
Winning papers are eligible for consideration for publication in the various journals of the World History Association and Phi Alpha Theta, but no promise of publication accompanies any award.
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Announcement of the award: will be made at the WHA’s annual conference, typically in June or July.
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World Historian Student Essay Prize
The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. Finalist essays will be checked against AI internet components and will be automatically disqualified should stock answers be detected.
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The World History Association established this $500 prize to recognize young scholars. A one-year membership in the WHA will also be included with each prize.
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Each competitor will submit an essay that addresses one of the following topics and discuss how it relates to you personally and to World History: Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge, such as "My ancestor walked with Abraham Lincoln from Illinois to fight in the Black Hawk War of 1832."
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The committee will judge papers according to the following criteria:
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clear thesis;
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elaboration on the thesis with specific, concrete, personal example(s);
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evidence of critical-thinking, such as synthesis and evaluation, when reflecting on the essay question;
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organization and fluency; and
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overall effectiveness of the student’s ability to communicate his or her personal connection with the study of world history—in other words, how well has the student described the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history?
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If you are interested in viewing some of the winning World Historian essays from the past few years, please visit the links below.
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The World History Association reserves the right to publish in the World History Bulletin any essay (or portion thereof) submitted to the competition. It will do so solely at its discretion, but full acknowledgment of authorship will be given. If someone’s essay is published in whole or in part, the author will receive three (3) copies of the Bulletin.
If you have questions about the prize or these guidelines, please contact the WHA at info@thewha.org​
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Deadline for submissions: May 1
Eligibility: You must be a K-12 student.
Submissions must include:
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A form that is on our site that will ask you to attach the paper, as well as to identify the author, the paper title, your home address, telephone number, e-mail address, and name and location of your school
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The paper itself:
The length should be approximately 1,000 words.
All pages (except the title page) should be numbered.
All pages are to be double-spaced.
Use 12-point Times New Roman font.
Margins are to be 1 inch (2.54 cm) left and right and top and bottom
IMPORTANT: The author's name is not to appear anywhere on the paper
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A separate sheet should accompany the paper, identifying the author, paper title, home address, telephone number, e-mail address and name and location of your school.
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Papers that do not adhere to these guidelines will be disqualified.
Announcement of the award: The winning paper(s) will be announced at the WHA’s annual conference and winners will be notified by e-mail.​
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Blooomsbury/WHA Diversity in World History Monograph Prize
Bloomsbury Academic and the World History Association are delighted to announce the Diversity in World History Monograph Prize, in a partnership that seeks to improve the publishing opportunities available for early career scholars in world history, and to diversify the voices of those in the early stages of their career. After our inaugural run in 2023, we're pleased to return in 2026 with a restructured format. This prize will consist of an annual book contract, awarded to the candidate with the best proposal in the field of world history according to external reviews and chosen by a WHA prize committee and Bloomsbury's editorial team.
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Maddie Smith, Publisher for History, or April Peake, Senior Commissioning Editor for History at Bloomsbury, will offer two workshops and Q&A sessions per year that will focus on revising PhD theses into monographs, and how to write a good book proposal for an academic press. Authors shall be invited to submit proposals for monographs in the field of world history between 70,000-90,000 words by 23:59 (Eastern time) on or before 1st September 2026. For submissions, we require a completed proposal form, along with 2-3 sample chapters, one of which must be the introduction.
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Deadlines for submissions:
​Phase I: Applicants submit a a cover letter (explaining how the manuscript contributes to the field), a proposal, a curriculum vitae, an introduction and one to two sample chapters. All applicants are strongly advised to attend one of the two workshops. Due September 1, 2026
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Phase II: Shortlisted applicants, after notification, will submit an entire manuscript for Bloomsbury Peer Review. Due: Spring 2027 [Precise date TBA]
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Eligibility:
We are dedicated to welcoming applications from all backgrounds and identities, enabling Bloomsbury and the global publishing industry to be shaped and enhanced by diverse voices that reflect our culture and society. In this context, diversity encompasses those who have faced challenges in the early stages of their scholarly publishing career due to their:
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Location
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Race
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Disability
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Age
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Religion or beliefs​
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Gender identity
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Sex
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Sexuality
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Class and/or socioeconomic background
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Caring responsibilities
Applicants must be members of the World History Association, both to attend the workshops and to submit their proposals. To encourage equal opportunity, the WHA will sponsor up to 10 memberships for those interested in the opportunity who require a sponsored subvention for their membership dues. who require assistance. Please complete this form to apply for a waiver of membership fee.
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Announcement of the award: The award will be announced at the June 2027 annual meeting of the World History Association.
World History Connected Article of the Year Prize
The World History Connected (WHC) Article of the Year Prize recognizes an article published in the journal of outstanding value to both research and teaching in the field of world history. Rooted in the mission of the WHC journal, this prize, inaugurated in 2026, is funded through the generosity of Professor Emeritus and former World History Association president, Marc Jason Gilbert. To be considered, articles must be published in World History Connected within the last year (e.g. articles eligible for the 2026 prize were published between January and December of 2025).
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The winner of the WHC Article of the Year Prize will receive $200. A one-year membership in the World History Association and a certificate will also be included with the prize.
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About the publication: World History Connected is a grant-supported open-sourced, double-blind peer reviewed affiliate of the World History Association. It serves as a means of creating community among all those devoted to research and teaching world history. Not every article “connects” or bridges these twin objectives, but published reviews have judged this e-journal successful in achieving its dual goal in supporting and disseminating globally both archivally based research and the scholarship of teaching. Over the course of its existence, it has been guided by world historians devoted to providing publication opportunities in the field, and where needed, assisting scholars to meet the highest standards for accessible writing, referencing, formatting, and whether their articles are, or is not, accepted for publication.
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This Prize was previously the World History Connected Book Prize. The World History Connected (WHC) Book Prize was awarded from 2023 to 2024. It recognized publications of outstanding value to both research and teaching in the field of world history.
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Recipients of the World History Connected Book Prize included: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
​2024
Chelsea Schields, Offshore Attachments: Oil and Intimacy in the Caribbean (University of California Press)​​​​​​​​​​​
2023
Jamie Martin, The Meddlers: Sovereignty, Empire, and the Birth of Global Economic Governance (Harvard University Press)
If you have questions about the prize or these guidelines, please contact the WHA at info@thewha.org​
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Deadline for submissions: Rolling
Application: There is no formal application; all articles that appeared in WHC during the preceding calendar year are eligible.
Eligibility: Only articles published in World History Connected within the calendar year preceding the award
Notification: The winning article will be announced at the World History Association’s annual conference, typically in June or July