There is a vast and growing public thirst for understanding the historical dimensions of rapidly escalating environmental crises. At the same time, for historians there remains a tension between established models of knowledge production and transmission, and new modes and processes of knowledge sharing or co-production. These are not adequately recognised or rewarded by academia, especially, but are arguably essential in an era in which environmental knowledge is both increasingly contested in the public domain, and essential for a liveable future.

This prize seeks to encourage researchers to build public engagement into their projects from the outset. There is no restriction on the format of work submitted for the prize; judges will be able to evaluate and commend work in environmental history that engages the public through workshops, websites, audio-visual productions, popular publication, theatre or other forms of performance, visual arts collaboration, and mixed or multi-modal forms.

Eligible applicants include academics, independent scholars and practitioners resident anywhere in the world who have undertaken work in environmental history that includes a public engagement component.

The selection criteria for the prize will focus on three key points:
• innovation in environmental history;
• evidence of public engagement;
• and contribution to public debate or understanding of a significant environmental issue.

Applying to the 2Bs Prize, applicants agree that their projects will be archived and published in a dedicated database in the ESEH website. The aim is to make visible and searchable the rich diversity of public environmental history projects that our community is fostering.

The template for the application is available here:

Please, download the template (click HERE), fill it out, and submit it to engagement.prize@eseh.org by 1 May 2025. In the subject field of your application, type “ESEH 2Bs Prize”.

The winner will receive a monetary award of EUR 500 and the project will be presented at the ESEH conference in Uppsala on 18–22 August 2025.

Download the call in .pdf format: HERE