Rules and Entry Form
The Society for the Social History of Medicine (SSHM) invites submissions to its Annual Book Development Award Competition.
The Award
Two awards of £2000.00 each will be given to proposals contracted in the book series, Social Histories of Medicine, published by Manchester University Press (MUP) for the SSHM. One award will be awarded for an authored monograph, and the other for an edited collection.
If no award is given in one category, it may be applied to the other. The assessment panel (below) can also decide not to give any awards or only one. For information on the book series click here.
Aims of the Award
Submissions for the 2026 Award, which funds authors to turn a proposal into a book in the Social Histories of Medicine series, are accepted on a rolling basis until 16 January 2026.
Applicants should prepare and submit the standard proposal package required by Manchester University Press. We recommend authors to seek early feedback from the press, and to note that every entry undergoes peer review and SSHM committee evaluation, with funds released only after the winning project secures a formal book contract with the press. Proposals received after 16 January will automatically be considered for the next cycle.
For MUP’s submission and review process click here.
What to submit
The award-application package should include a cover letter (max 1 page). The cover letter should outline
- Details of the award you are applying for — authored monograph or edited volume.
- Briefly state the main reasons why you are applying.
MUP will collect the submissions and will inform the series editors and SSHM representatives.
Uses for the Award is entirely discretionary: winners themselves decide how best to support their project (for example, research travel, permissions, indexing, open‑access fees).
David Cantor: djcantor@hotmail.com
Anne Hanley: a.hanley@bham.ac.uk
Elaine Leong: e.leong@ucl.ac.uk
On Receipt of Your Application
The series editors will submit your letter to the assessment panel together with
- The book-proposal package you submitted to MUP, comprising the MUP proposal form and at least two sample chapters, one of which should be the introduction.
- The anonymized referee reports and the response of the authors/editors
- The comments (if any) of MUP’s editorial board.
By applying for this award, you agree that members of the assessment panel can review all these materials.
The Assessment Panel
The awards will be decided by an assessment panel appointed by the Executive Committee of the SSHM, which includes the Chair of the Society or their representative, and the editors of the series with the assistance of members of the editorial board of the book series.
Eligibility
- To anyone who submits a complete proposal during the call window. The funds will only be awarded once the book is contracted in the book series Social Histories of Medicine published by Manchester University Press for the Society for the Social History of Medicine prior to the deadline.
- No single book submission is eligible for more than one award.
- As this award is intended to help scholars develop proposals into books, we accept only proposals notfull manuscript submissions or published books. Authors and editors are encouraged to submit a proposal package before the full manuscript.
- All entrants must be members of the Society by the date of submission and state their membership number in their cover letter. (For edited volumes, we only require the editors to be members.)
- You can join the Society by subscribing at here. (The membership requirement may be waived for residents of low and middle income countries, as listed on the Oxford University Press website. Please contact the Executive Secretary at sshmexecsec@gmail.com for further guidance).
- Members of the Executive Committee of the SSHM or the Editorial Board of the book series Social Histories of Medicine may not enter the competition, even if otherwise eligible.
- Candidates who are uncertain as to their eligibility should contact the Executive Secretary before preparing their entry.
Deadline
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. The final deadline for consideration in the 2026 Award cycle is 16 January 2026 (close of day). We encourage you to submit any time between now and that date.
After 16 January 2026, the competition window resets and any new entries will automatically be evaluated for the following cycle.
Announcement of the Winner
A decision will be made by the end of June 2026 and the award winner(s) will be announced in the summer of 2026. All entrants will be notified of the outcome, but the panel regrets it is unable to provide feedback on unsuccessful entries.
Other points
- The award includes the offer of mentoring by the book series editors.
- The award will be given to individuals, not institutions.
- The winners will be expected to hold an in-person or online book launch in coordination with the SSHM Officer for Engagement, Teaching and Communications and the Book Series editors.