Conington Prizes are offered for a thesis on a subject chosen by the writer and approved as appropriate by the Board of the Faculty of Philosophy or the Board of the Faculty of Classics. The value of the prizes will be £1,000.
Submissions are invited for the 2026 prize in the field of Ancient History, Religion, Art and Archaeology. Only theses which have been submitted for examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford since 1 January 2022 will be eligible to be considered for the prize. Corrected theses, as submitted for deposit, will be accepted, but not versions revised for publication.
Eligibility: general rules. The prizes are open to graduates of the University of Oxford and to current members of the University. All applicants must, as of Friday 29 May 2026, (i) be qualified by examination for a degree of the University of Oxford; (ii) have completed six years, and have not exceeded seventeen years, from their matriculation (except that graduates whose first degrees are from other universities shall have completed two years, and not exceeded thirteen years, from their matriculation); and (iii) be of postdoctoral status, or equivalent.
Candidates who wish to be considered for the 2026 Conington Prize should write, providing the title of their thesis, to the Academic Support Officer in the Faculty of Classics (email graduate@classics.ox.ac.uk) by Friday 29 May 2026. Information on how to submit the thesis to the examiners will be sent to candidates in due course.
The Conington Prize may not be awarded twice to the same person.
The examiners may determine not to award the Prize in any year if no thesis of sufficient merit is submitted.
The Prize is offered normally annually in three fields in rotation. The cycle will continue as follows: 2027 Ancient Philosophy and Ideas; 2028 Classical Literature, Textual Criticism and Philology; 2029 Ancient History, Religion, Art and Archaeology.
