The Michel de Montaigne Endowed Prize in the History of Ideas was established in the College of Arts and Sciences in 2018 in honor of the 16th-century French essayist.

Eligibility

To be eligible, a person must currently hold a full-time faculty appointment at UAB, as defined by the UAB Faculty Handbook.

A nomination package should consist of an essay and the faculty member's curriculum vitae. Additional guidelines are below. This information should be submitted via email by 5:00 p.m. on January 31, 2025, to Dr. John K. Moore, Jr. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Questions can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Additional Guidelines

• The Montaigne Prize will be a cash prize and award, awarded for a scholarly essay in the history of ideas written by any member of the University’s faculty. The winning essay will make a unique contribution to the history of thought and culture. The term "history of ideas" is to be interpreted liberally, encompassing a broad range of interdisciplinary concerns, including those at the intersection of cultural and intellectual history.
• The Montaigne Prize will be awarded by the College of Arts and Sciences. An individual may receive the award only once in any three-year period.
• All submissions will be blind. Any unpublished essay may be submitted. Pending publication essays may be submitted but should appear in print the calendar year of submission. All entries should be submitted in a form that is suitable for publication and in English.
• Entries will be reviewed anonymously by a committee panel of judge-scholars, on which former winners may be asked to serve by the College. No panel judge is permitted to submit an entry the year they serve on the panel.
• The author's name should not appear anywhere in the essay, and each submission must be accompanied by a cover sheet identifying the author.
• The winner will be recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences and he/she may be asked to give a presentation, which will be open to the public. The College also may provide a plaque should funds be available from endowment earnings or other sources.
• The Prize will be awarded provided that three or more entries are received. If fewer than three entries are submitted, the Prize is to be awarded the following year.

In-print Versions of Prior Prize-winning Essays

• Tina Kempin Reuter, “Smart City Vision and Human Rights: Do They Go Together”“Smart City Vision and Human Rights: Do They Go Together”
• Jill Hamilton Clements, “Sudden Death in Early Medieval England and the Anglo-Saxon Fortunes of Men”