Nine Dots Prize
Nine Dots Prize supports original thinkers exploring contemporary societal challenges, funding the development of a short, openly accessible book to share creative analysis of problems facing the modern world.
Funder: Centre for Research in the Arts Social Sciences and Humanities
Due Dates: January 27, 2027, 11:59 a.m. GMT (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: US$100,000 for the winner | £5,000 each for up to three Highly Commended entries
Summary: The Nine Dots Prize rewards original thinking on contemporary societal challenges and supports its winner to develop a short, openly accessible book.
Key Information: Entries created using generative AI, large language models, or related tools are not accepted.
Description
The Nine Dots Prize promotes creative, innovative thinking about problems facing the modern world. It welcomes responses from any perspective or discipline, with a focus on analysing contemporary society and its challenges. For Cycle Six, entrants must address the question: “Who gains from saving nature?” The winning response becomes the basis of a short book published by Cambridge University Press, including an open-access edition available to download free.
The prize is awarded by the KDS Foundation, in cooperation with Cambridge University Press and the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge. A board of experts judges entries anonymously, selecting work on the strength and originality of its response to the question.
