BAIS Book Prize

The 2026 BAIS Book Prize is now open. We invite submissions of single-author monographs published in 2025. All areas of Irish Studies across a range of disciplines are welcome. Comparative works will be considered, but they must have a substantial focus on topics related to Ireland.

Authors must be members of BAIS and based in England, Scotland, or Wales in the year of publication (please see below for full details about eligibility). The prize is judged by the BAIS Advisory Board and Council, along with relevant subject experts. There will be a prize of £200, which will be presented at the Irish Embassy in London in May 2026.

The deadline for receipt of monographs is 19 January 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted. Please email a PDF copy of the book, along with a short biography (c.150-200 words), to the BAIS Book Prize Coordinators (Bryan Radley and Mikelyn Rochford) at baisbookprize@gmail.com

Guidelines / Eligibility Criteria:

• The decision of the BAIS Book Prize Committee will be final.
• Prize entries must be single-authored monographs published in 2025. Essay collections will not be accepted.
• All areas of Irish Studies (broadly defined) will be considered. Comparative works will be considered, but they must have a substantial Irish element to them.
• Entries will be considered in Irish or English or both.
• Authors must be members of the British Association for Irish Studies who have paid their membership dues (or should join when they apply).
• Authors must have been based in England, Wales, or Scotland in the year the book is published. In other words, they should have been registered at an educational institution located in either England, Scotland, or Wales in 2025. (Please note that institutions in Northern Ireland are not eligible.) Or, if they are academically unaffiliated, they must have resided in England, Scotland, or Wales in 2025. 
• The book should be delivered as a PDF (which will not be circulated beyond the judges) and must be accompanied by a short biography (c. 150-200 words).
• If BAIS Council members submit their work, they must recuse themselves from the judging panel.

BAIS Postgraduate Bursary Prize

Our Postgraduate Bursary Award Scheme has become the major scheme of its kind in the UK. Each year, we make significant funds available to students researching Irish-related topics at British universities

Applicants must be members of the British Association for Irish Studies who have paid their membership dues (or should join when they apply) and must be registered at educational institutions located in either England, Wales or Scotland.

We aim to support research that uncovers new or neglected areas in the field. As an applicant, you are encouraged to produce a specific and targeted funding request, detailing how the award will support your research. Your applications will be assessed by a panel of important international academics, ensuring that this is a valuable award in more ways than one. We are keen to recognise the diversity of work taking place on Irish culture and society when coming to our final decision. In any one year we usually give bursaries to between three and six winners (sums are usually between £300–£1000). The bursaries are presented to successful candidates by the Irish Ambassador to Great Britain, at our Awards Ceremony held at the Irish Embassy in London.

The scheme has given rise to important research which has been published internationally. A number of the students it has helped in the past are now lecturing in the field of Irish Studies at universities in Britain and Ireland. Students may apply to use the bursary for travel expenses, payment of fees, subsistence or other expenses related to the completion of their research projects. Applicants must be members of the British Association for Irish Studies (or should join when they apply). Applicants will be required to submit a completed Application Form together with two completed forms from referees, who should send these direct to the Chair of the Bursaries Committee. The decision of the BAIS Postgraduate Bursaries Committee will be final.

The deadline for submission of applications is 17 March 2026 and the awards will be announced in May 2026. Please download and complete the forms here:

For more information, please contact the Postgraduate Bursary Coordinator: Deirdre Canavan (deirdre.canavan@kcl.ac.uk) 

 

BAIS Postgraduate Essay Prize

The British Association for Irish Studies, in association with Irish Studies Review and Cambridge University Press, is pleased to announce the BAIS Postgraduate Essay Prize. Entries are invited for an essay on any aspect of Irish Studies. The winning entry will be published in Irish Studies Review and the winning author will receive £500 of Cambridge University Press books of their choice. Entrants should be student members of BAIS who are registered for Masters or Doctoral programmes in Great Britain. Essays should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words in length and be presented in accordance with the Instructions for Authors of Irish Studies Review. All essays must be submitted electronically by 17 March 2026. The Prize will be judged by a multi-disciplinary panel. The winner will be announced in May 2026.

Applicants must be members of the British Association for Irish Studies who have paid their membership dues (or should join when they apply) and must be registered at educational institutions located in either England, Wales or Scotland.

Please submit entries to baisessayprize@gmail.com by 17 March 2026

For more information, please download the guidelines here:

BAIS Event Funding Scheme

This scheme is not currently open to applications. 

Our event funding usually  has a rolling deadline of 1st September. Please check our members’ newsletter for details of when the scheme will be revived. You must be a member in good standing to apply and notification will be given in our newsletter. Any event which receives funding must agree to our policy on sexual harassment