Nine Dots Prize
The Nine Dots Prize rewards innovative, interdisciplinary research addressing major societal challenges, supporting winners to expand their ideas into a published open-access book with Cambridge University Press.
Funder: Centre for Research in the Arts Social Sciences and Humanities
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026: Submission deadline | January 2027: Full application deadline
Funding Amounts: US$100,000 prize; supports development of a short book published by Cambridge University Press (open access).
Summary: International prize for innovative, interdisciplinary responses to pressing societal issues, supporting winners to expand their ideas into a published book.
Description
The Nine Dots Prize is an international award designed to encourage original and creative thinking that addresses major contemporary societal challenges. Open to individuals worldwide, the prize invites entrants to respond to a question set by the Prize Board in a 3,000-word essay. The winner receives US$100,000 to develop their ideas into a short book (25,000–40,000 words), which is published by Cambridge University Press and made freely available in multiple formats, including open access. The competition is judged anonymously and welcomes interdisciplinary perspectives from any discipline, aiming to surface rigorous analysis and innovative solutions to neglected or emerging societal questions.
