RHS Funded Book Workshops enable recipients to bring together scholars of their choosing to discuss and debate a second or third major research project which takes the form of a monograph, currently at the draft manuscript stage.
About Funded Book Workshops, 2025
Each award will provide up to £2000 to an author to host a day-long book workshop to consider a project and monograph text in detail. Funds may be spent to invite up to six scholars (based in the UK or European Union) to attend the workshop, and is intended to cover travel, hospitality and overnight accommodation where required. Recipients of Funded Book Workshops must be current members of the Royal Historical Society.
Participants are required to read the manuscript draft and to engage fully in the workshop, for which they receive an honorarium of £200 per person. One of those attending the workshop will be the author's named sponsor who will speak, as part of the application, for the quality of the research project and manuscript. Recipients of an award are expected to arrange the workshop, making use of funding provided by the Society. Where convenient, the Society welcomes applications to hold workshops at its office at University College London.
Eligibility and terms of an award
Applications are welcome for projects that meet the following criteria:
A second or third major research project leading to the publication of a scholarly monograph, understood as a text of c.80,000-120,000 words. This monograph need not be an applicant's second (or third) book, as some PhDs result in a collection of articles rather than a first monograph. However, awards are intended to support historians seeking to publish a monograph at this important stage in their professional development.
Be submitted by an applicant who is a current member of the Royal Historical Society.
The Society looks to support projects that are intellectually exciting and important, but whose authors have very limited or no institutional means to support a meaningful workshop of this kind through financial or other means.
Applicants will be supported by an academic 'sponsor' in their field who will speak for the quality of the project and the draft monograph.
Sponsors need not be based in an applicant's institution, but should have a clear understanding of the value of the project and the applicant's ability to see it to completion as a monograph; sponsors will also attend the workshop as one of up to to six academic participants.
At the time of application, applicants will have a book under contract with a publisher (UK or other) of their choice.
Those working collaboratively on a monograph with named co-authors are welcome to apply, though workshops will not be supported for edited collections.
Applicants are not required to have a full monograph in draft at the time of application; rather applications comprising of 2 to 4 full chapters, plus a detailed book plan, are welcome as most suitable for a workshop.
Recipients will organise and hold their workshop within 12 months of the award. RHS funding will support attendance of up to six specialist readers of the authors' choosing; others are welcome to attend if funded in other ways. Society funding will support reasonable travel and hospitality within the UK, and from Europe, if required for one or more participant. Attendees from further afield are welcome to attend online, in addition to those attending through the RHS scheme.
Award recipients will contribute to the Society's activities with reference to their research or the work of developing their manuscript (e.g. a blog post, interview, event). Recipients will inform the RHS on publication of their monograph, and agree to acknowledge the contribution of the Society in the published monograph.
The closing date for the 2025 programme is: Friday 11 July 2025. Recipients will be informed in September 2025, with workshops to take place before 31 July 2026.
Further details of the scheme are available here.
Enquires concerning the RHS Book Workshop awards may be sent to: administration@royalhistsoc.org.
Funded Book Workshops
RHS Funded Book Workshops enable recipients to bring together scholars of their choosing to discuss and debate a second or third major research project which takes the form of a monograph, currently at the draft manuscript stage.
About Funded Book Workshops, 2025
Each award will provide up to £2000 to an author to host a day-long book workshop to consider a project and monograph text in detail. Funds may be spent to invite up to six scholars (based in the UK or European Union) to attend the workshop, and is intended to cover travel, hospitality and overnight accommodation where required. Recipients of Funded Book Workshops must be current members of the Royal Historical Society.
Participants are required to read the manuscript draft and to engage fully in the workshop, for which they receive an honorarium of £200 per person. One of those attending the workshop will be the author's named sponsor who will speak, as part of the application, for the quality of the research project and manuscript. Recipients of an award are expected to arrange the workshop, making use of funding provided by the Society. Where convenient, the Society welcomes applications to hold workshops at its office at University College London.
Eligibility and terms of an award
Applications are welcome for projects that meet the following criteria:
A second or third major research project leading to the publication of a scholarly monograph, understood as a text of c.80,000-120,000 words. This monograph need not be an applicant's second (or third) book, as some PhDs result in a collection of articles rather than a first monograph. However, awards are intended to support historians seeking to publish a monograph at this important stage in their professional development.
Be submitted by an applicant who is a current member of the Royal Historical Society.
The Society looks to support projects that are intellectually exciting and important, but whose authors have very limited or no institutional means to support a meaningful workshop of this kind through financial or other means.
Applicants will be supported by an academic 'sponsor' in their field who will speak for the quality of the project and the draft monograph.
Sponsors need not be based in an applicant's institution, but should have a clear understanding of the value of the project and the applicant's ability to see it to completion as a monograph; sponsors will also attend the workshop as one of up to to six academic participants.
At the time of application, applicants will have a book under contract with a publisher (UK or other) of their choice.
Those working collaboratively on a monograph with named co-authors are welcome to apply, though workshops will not be supported for edited collections.
Applicants are not required to have a full monograph in draft at the time of application; rather applications comprising of 2 to 4 full chapters, plus a detailed book plan, are welcome as most suitable for a workshop.
Recipients will organise and hold their workshop within 12 months of the award. RHS funding will support attendance of up to six specialist readers of the authors' choosing; others are welcome to attend if funded in other ways. Society funding will support reasonable travel and hospitality within the UK, and from Europe, if required for one or more participant. Attendees from further afield are welcome to attend online, in addition to those attending through the RHS scheme.
Award recipients will contribute to the Society's activities with reference to their research or the work of developing their manuscript (e.g. a blog post, interview, event). Recipients will inform the RHS on publication of their monograph, and agree to acknowledge the contribution of the Society in the published monograph.
The closing date for the 2025 programme is: Friday 11 July 2025. Recipients will be informed in September 2025, with workshops to take place before 31 July 2026.
Further details of the scheme are available here.
Enquires concerning the RHS Book Workshop awards may be sent to: administration@royalhistsoc.org.