---

Announcing the Inaugural Joseph Needham Foundation Awards

We are delighted to announce the call for applications for the inaugural Joseph Needham Foundation Awards! We welcome applications from emerging scholars worldwide.

The Joseph Needham Foundation Awards comprise a Research Grant and an Essay Prize, given to scholars working on science in Asia, broadly defined, including transregional topics. In recognition of the ongoing legacy of Joseph Needham in the history of science, these awards encourage applicants undertaking interdisciplinary research to also apply. The awards, made possible by the generous support of the Joseph Needham Foundation for Science and Civilisation and administered through the Forum for the History of Science in Asia, will be USD 3,000 and USD 500, respectively. Both awards will consist of a check and a certificate, to be presented at the History of Science Society’s annual meeting. HSS membership is not required at the time of application, but awardees must be members during the year that their award is active. Applicants may only apply to one award at a time.

Research Grant

The research grant of 3,000 USD will be given to proposals for research that are aligned with the scope and priorities of the award as stated above. Please include a one-page CV, and a proposal of no more than 1,000 words, outlining the main goals and contributions of the proposed research, a timeline and plan for research, and how the applicant intends to use the funds. This grant has no restrictions on the location of proposed research. Eligibility extends to graduate students currently enrolled in any college, university, or institute of technology, as well as early career scholars, including independent scholars and those with fixed-term/temporary positions, but no more than three years should have passed since the time of their PhD.

Essay Prize

The essay prize of 500 USD will be awarded to authors of original and unpublished essays that are aligned with the scope and priorities of the award as stated above. Essays that have been accepted for publication are ineligible. Manuscripts must be in English and under 12,000 words, all inclusive, and should conform to the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. The judging will be blind, so authors should take care not to self-identify in the text. Eligibility extends to graduate students currently enrolled in any college, university, or institute of technology.

Please submit your application to needhamfhsasia@gmail.com as a single PDF by Dec 1, 2025.