Subject
Eligible for the above prize is any thesis or paper, submitted for a Master's degree, on the subject of History and Philosophy of Modern Physics. The boundaries of this subject are taken to include: all aspects of the history and philosophy of modern physics broadly understood, including physical aspects of astronomy, chemistry and other non-biological sciences. The primary focus is on physics from the mid/late-nineteenth century to the present, the period of emergence of the kind of theoretical physics that has come to dominate the exact sciences in the twentieth century.
Prize and participation
The prize and participation scheme involves a set of exciting opportunities for the winner. The champion of the contest is granted a prize amount of 2000 euros. Beyond the monetary reward, they are also invited to contribute an article based on their winning thesis to the esteemed journal, Foundations of Physics.
In addition, the winner gets the chance to present a seminar revolving around their victorious thesis at two prestigious institutions. These include the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics at Radboud University in Nijmegen, and the Institute for History and Foundations of Science at Utrecht University.
The participation for this prize is open to Master's students worldwide. However, it's important to note that entries are only accepted through nomination by one or more supervisors of the thesis. Furthermore, only those theses that have been completed in the academic year prior to the submission deadline are considered eligible.
Deadlines
As for the time schedule, nominees should submit their applications before the deadline of 6 October 2025. The jury will then make their decision by 4 November 2025.
