THT Research Essay Prize - Announcement
The Prize
The Templar Heritage Trust (THT) has established an annual THT Research Essay Prize in order to promote academic research into the medieval Order of Knights Templar and their period of history, with a particular emphasis on under-researched topics.
- The prize-winner will receive a grant of £ 500 from the THT to be used for further study and/or research into the Templars, the Crusades, and/or other monastic and chivalric orders.
- By kind permission of the Editorial Board of Ordines Militares, and subject to the Editorial Board’s approval, the winning submission will be published in the next edition of the journal, “Ordines Militares”. Please note that “Ordines Militares” is an ‘open access’ journal.
Essay Theme
The theme for the 2025 Prize is: “The Templars and Water”. This theme may include any of the following topics:
- Templar irrigation systems
- Provision of drinking water at Templar castles and estates
- Templar use of mechanical water power
- The Templar navy
- Templar sea trade
Eligible Applicants
Applications for this Prize are open to graduate students and to early career researchers (up to 5 years after a PhD).
Submission Requirements
Submissions for the THT Research Essay Prize are to be:
- between 8,000 and 15,000 words;
- written in English, French, or German;
- with the author’s name, current academic qualifications, and current study and/or employment status appended.
Submissions must be accompanied by a brief letter, confirming the applicant’s qualifications and status, from an appropriate person (such as a recent or current tutor, supervisor, or employer) who knows the graduate student or early career researcher well.
Submissions are to be sent, to arrive at the latest by 12.00 midnight (UK time) on Friday 27 June 2025, to:
submissions@thetemplarheritagetrust.org.uk
Assessment Process
Submissions are to be assessed by the members of the THT Academic Advisory Panel. The Panel will recommend an appropriate winning entry for approval by the THT Board of Trustees.
In the event that the THT Academic Advisory Panel considers that no submission has reached the appropriate academic standard, then no Prize will be awarded in 2025.
- It is expected that the prize-winner will receive notification regarding the grant from the THT by Wednesday 27 August 2025.
- It is expected that the prize-winner will receive notification regarding publication in “Ordines Militares” by Thursday 27 November 2025.
The Templar Heritage Trust is a Foundation Charity Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales Charity Number: 1202183
