The Gustav Neuenschwander Prize, the main prize of the European Society for the History of Science (ESHS), is awarded for outstanding life‐long achievements and major contributions to the discipline of the history of science. It was created by Professor Erwin Neuenschwander in 2011 in memory of his father Gustav Neuenschwander.
The Prize, which currently amounts to 10,000 (ten thousand) Euros, is presented biennially at the ESHS Conferences. It consists of a financial reward, a diploma, and the right to deliver a plenary lecture at the Conference.
The first winners of the Gustav Neuenschwander Prize were
- Claude Debru (2012)
- Jürgen Renn (2014)
- Nancy Siraisi (2016)
- Robert Fox (2018)
- Kostas Gavroglu (2020)
Any member of the ESHS is entitled to nominate a candidate. Nominations must be accompanied by
- a detailed report on the candidate’s work,
- a short CV of the candidate and
- a list of the main publications relevant to the nomination.
Regulations of the Gustav Neuenschwander Prize
- The Gustav Neuenschwander Prize is awarded to recognize and honour the career achievements of a leading scholar in the history of science, with special reference to research that has contributed to the progress of the discipline of the history of science and its humanistic message.
- The Prize is awarded every two years.
- The Prize is presented to the winner during the ESHS General Assembly at the regular biannual conference of the ESHS. It includes a financial reward, a diploma, and the right to deliver a plenary lecture at the conference.
- The Prize, which currently amounts to 10,000 (ten thousand) euros, is paid from the ‘Fonds Gustav Neuenschwander’ held at the ‘Charitable Foundation Empiris’ in Zurich.
- Any member of the ESHS is entitled to nominate a candidate. A candidate for the prize need not be a member of the ESHS and may come from any European or non‐European country.
- Nominations must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the ESHS at least eight months before the beginning of the conference during which the prize is to be awarded. They must be accompanied by a report on the candidate’s work, his/her short CV, and a list of the main publications relevant to the nomination. The winner of the Prize is notified at least six months before the General Assembly at which the award is to be made.
- The Gustav Neuenschwander Prize Committee consists of the members of the ESHS Council and all the ESHS past presidents, with a representative of the ‘Charitable Foundation Empiris’ in a consultative capacity. Any member of the Council or past president who is nominated for the prize must withdraw from the Prize Committee.
- The Prize Committee chooses the winner, following a postal ballot of its members repeated as necessary until an absolute majority is obtained. If an absolute majority is not obtained on the first ballot, a second ballot will be held. If an absolute majority is still not achieved, only the two candidates with the most votes will enter the third and any subsequent ballots. Votes will be submitted anonymously and in writing to the Secretary of the ESHS, with two members of the Prize Committee, appointed by the ESHS President, acting as scrutineers.