The Sidney Prize is awarded annually to a graduating student who has made outstanding contributions to the campus community and who shows promise for future leadership in academics, service, or other activities. The winner is selected by a committee of faculty, staff, and students and is based on the student’s contributions to the university during their time at Duke.

The sidney prize recognizes excellence in scholarship in the history of technology, focusing on an area that has a significant impact on society or the environment. In addition to the award, the recipient will receive a certificate and $500 honorarium. The prize is funded by a generous gift from Ruth Edelstein Barish and her family in memory of the late Sidney Edelstein, an expert on the history of dyes and dye processes.

In order to be considered for this prize, a candidate must have published a significant work in the field of technology during the three preceding years. The nomination must also include a cover letter that outlines the work’s importance and how it fits within the larger context of scholarship in this area.

Nominations are accepted by the end of each month and will be reviewed by a panel of judges, which includes faculty from across the College. Applicants are encouraged to submit the most relevant materials to support their nomination.

Aside from the Sidney Prize, there are several other awards given by the Foundation. These include the Hillman Prize, which honors journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in service of the common good; the Jane Dempsey Douglass Prize for outstanding essays on women in the history of Christianity; and the Sidney E. Mead Prize for a dissertation article that contributes significantly to its field and to the history of Christianity more broadly.

Hillman Prize

Since 1950, the Sidney Hillman Foundation has honored journalists, writers and public figures who pursue investigative journalism and public policy for the common good. The Hillman Prizes honor journalism that focuses on social and economic injustice, exposes these issues and leads to meaningful public policy change.

For more information about the Sidney Hillman Prizes, please see our entry instructions here. Nominations for the 2023 Hillman Prizes are now open.

The Sidney Prize for Journalism is a monthly award that recognizes exemplary journalism in the field of social and economic justice. Nominations for the Sidney Prize must be submitted by the last day of each month and will be reviewed by judging panels composed of prominent scholars in the fields of media, law, politics, and history.

Nominations must include a detailed statement that explains the impact the piece had on its readers and/or audiences, and how the work has shaped or been affected by the community. The Foundation encourages journalists to submit their own work, but if your story is featured in a magazine or newspaper, we request that you contact the primary contact listed with the publication for award nominations and to receive a copy of the nomination form.