The BSHS Outreach and Engagement Committee is pleased to announce its 2024 Ayrton Prize.

Eligibility

The competition is open for publicly accessible digital engagement projects on the history of science, the history of technology, or the history of medicine. Eligible project formats include, but are not limited to: podcasts or videos, games or apps, publicly accessible websites, and engagement projects relying or making use of digital tools. Eligible projects must be primarily digital or web-based in nature, i.e. standalone projects as opposed to digital materials supporting non-digital projects.

The closing date is Monday 16th December 5pm UK (UTC+1). The Prize recognises digital engagement projects launched or significantly updated in 2022, 2023 and 2024. There will be a prize of £300 for the winning entry, and the winner will also be acknowledged in the BSHS’s Viewpoint magazine.

Criteria

The main criterion for judging this prize is audience experience and therefore the judges will consider:

  1. Originality: does the project speak to current scholarly concerns within HSTM, HPS and/or STS? Does it present the audience with something new? Does it challenge preconceptions?
  2. Clarity: is the purpose or aim of this project clear? Has it clearly identified what it wants to tell the audience about the history of science, technology or medicine? Is it easy to follow?
  3. Format: is the format appropriate for the intended audience? Does the format complement the subject matter? How is the project original or creative in its approach?
  4. Learning: does it cater for its intended audience well? How accessible is the project to a range of different audiences? Does it encourage audiences to be reflective about the role of HSTM?

Judging

Please submit an entry form and supporting materials by Monday 16th December 5pm UK (UTC+1) to outreach@bshs.org.uk. Please provide access to the digital project, whether that is through links to public websites or copies of the digital materials distributed to audiences. Supporting material should include any evaluation data available, such as site visit numbers or audience feedback. Judges will review comparably-sized samples of each project to accommodate differences in output e.g. differing video lengths or website sizes. Any further queries should be addressed to outreach@bshs.org.uk.