Purpose: To honor dissertations for literary distinction and for making a significant contribution to historical knowledge.

Prize: A certificate, two thousand dollars, and publication by one of out publisher members. A certificate will be presented to the dissertation sponsor. The prize will be awarded at the annual meeting of the society in New York in May.

Eligibility: The society defines history broadly and welcomes manuscripts on American arts, literature, and science, as well as biographical studies of Americans in any walk of life. The dissertation must have been defended or the Ph.D. degree received in the previous calendar year, between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. Dissertations already accepted for publication are not eligible for the Nevins prize.

Submission: Dissertations should be submitted by the chair of the department awarding the degree. Please submit a digital copy only, preferably in PDF form, and provide complete contact information for the student, including a telephone number and an email address that will be valid as of spring 2019. No formal nomination letter is required. No department may submit more than two dissertations.

Deadline:  Dissertations should be submitted no later than December 31, 2018, to the Society at amhistsociety@columbia.edu.

Further information: A list of our publisher members and of previous Nevins Prize winners can be found here [sah.columbia.edu]. Inquiries may be directed to the Society by email.