Mitchell Prize Submission Guidelines

Applications Open

January 15

Applications Due

March 1

Black-and-white portrait of scholar Sally Mitchell

Eligible applicants for the Sally Mitchell Dissertation Prize will have successfully defended their dissertation within the previous calendar year (i.e., the 2025 prize winner defended in 2024). Projects range from a variety of disciplinary perspectives focused on any aspect of the periodical press within Britain itself, or in the many countries within and outside of the Empire where British magazines and newspapers were bought, sold, and read during the long nineteenth century.

Applicants should submit the following via our online application portal by March 1:

  • An applicant information form with full contact information
  • A title page, abstract, and table of contents
  • A sample chapter (do not submit the full dissertation!)
  • The name and email address of their dissertation advisor

Applicants’ advisors will be asked to confirm the successful viva/defense date. After reviewing these materials, the prize committee will solicit full dissertations for further consideration.

The Mitchell Prize winner is typically announced in July or August of the prize year.

Questions about this dissertation prize may be directed to the president of RSVP.