The Design History Society is committed to supporting the development of research in the field of design history. The Society offers four annual research grants spread throughout the year and aimed at supporting a variety of research activities, aims and outputs. Together the grants are available to a mixture of members and non-members and have been conceived to encourage innovative and inclusive definitions of design history and its methods and approaches.
In order to encourage, recognise, and support writing that engages audiences in critical and contemporary issues in design writing, the Design History Society has initiated a new writing prize. Running for the first time in 2017, this is open to scholars, researchers, critics, practitioners and educators within and outside the Society who demonstrate a commitment to furthering the work of critical debate in design through writing.
The DHS Day Symposium Grant assists DHS members to convene a symposium to discuss and disseminate design history research. The grant is part of the Society's aim to promote and support scholarship in the field of design history and to play a role in shaping an inclusive and innovative field. The DHS Day Symposium Grant aims to support high quality, original research activity.
The DHS Outreach and Events Grant provides assistance for DHS members to convene a public event to promote design history beyond a traditional academic setting. This grant is part of the Society's aim to promote the field of design history and to play a role in shaping inclusive and innovative forums, support activities that offer new perspectives on how design history can engage diverse audiences, and contribute to public discourse that reaches wider communities.
Submissions are invited for the Design History Society Essay Prize, established in 1997 in order to maintain high standards in design history in higher education. Two prizes are awarded annually; one to an undergraduate student, and the other to a postgraduate (MA or PhD).
The Student Travel Award is awarded by the DHS annually to encourage and support research activity amongst students in the field of design history. The grant is open to all student members of the society.
The Design History Society has a bursary fund to assist DHS student members whose papers have been accepted for presentation at our annual conference. The Society endeavours to provide bursaries for up to 15 DHS student members presenting at our conference. Each bursary includes the concessionary rate conference fee and gala dinner attendance.