Nuncius is a peer-reviewed and international journal devoted to the history of the material and visual culture in science. Published three times a year by Brill and under the auspices of the Museo Galileo in Florence, Nuncius explores the material sources of scientific endeavor, such as scientific instruments and collections, and the specific settings of experimental practice, as well as the visual cultures of science and interactions between sciences and arts. The materiality of science is a fundamental source for the understanding of its history, and the visual representation of its concepts and objects is equally crucial. Founded in 1976 by Maria Luisa Righini Bonelli (1917-1981), Nuncius was originally published as Annali dell’Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza.

The 2026 Nuncius Prize, which is supported by Brill, will be awarded to the best original essay related to the material and visual history of science, technology and medicine in any period. The editors of Nuncius have established this prize with the aim of encouraging, recognizing and promoting high-quality research among graduate and early career scholars.

The winning entries are chosen using the journal’s standard criteria for selection.

Entries will be judged by a scientific committee.

The award is free to enter and no purchase is necessary.

The winner of the 2024 Essay Prize (second edition) was:

Francesca Strobino with “Colouring and Crafting 19th-Century Science. Giorgio Roster and His Hand-Coloured Lantern Slides”

The three honorable mentions were:

Filip Geaman with “The Theatro del Cielo et della Terra. Prophecy and Plagiarism in the Venetian Monastery”

Valentina Roberti with “Helmholtz’s Phakoscope. Optics, Ophthalmology, and Experimental Psychology at the Crossroad”

Carolin Fröschle with “The Visual Analogue Scale—Dimensions of a Line”

All essays have been published openly in the issue 40.2 (2025) of Nuncius:
https://brill.com/view/journals/nun/40/2/nun.40.issue-2.xml

The Award

Three honourable mentions (€100 of Brill book tokens each) will also be provided.

Entries will be published as articles in Nuncius pending peer review.

Non-winners submissions may be considered for publication in Nuncius.

Eligibility

The prize is intended for those who are currently graduate and doctoral students, or have been awarded their PhD (or equivalent) within the last six years.

The essay should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. It must be written in English. Only one entry per person is permitted.

Submission requirements

Essays must be:
unpublished and not submitted to any other journal or competition at the same time
written in English
no more than 9,000 words in length (including footnotes)
referenced in accordance with Nuncius guidelines (https://brill.com/fileasset/downloads_products/Author_Instructions/NUN.pdf)

Essays must not be a substantially unmodified section of a doctoral or master’s thesis.

Any entry must be your original work and it must not infringe the rights of third parties including copyright, trade mark, trade secrets, privacy, publicity, personal or proprietary rights.

By submitting an entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions.

Nuncius reserves the right to refuse entry, or refuse to award the prize to anyone in breach of these terms and conditions.

How to submit

The opening date for entries is 00.01 (CET) on 30 November 2025. The closing date of the Prize is 23.59 (CET) on 31 August 2026. Submissions received after this time will not be accepted.

Nuncius uses online submission only. Authors should submit their manuscript via the Editorial Manager (EM) online submission system (by selecting article type “Nuncius Prize”) at: https://www.editorialmanager.com/nun/default.aspx

When submitting the article, authors should indicate that they wish it to be considered for the Prize. All entries should be accompanied by a cover letter with a short biographical note that includes a statement of how the author meets the eligibility requirements for the Prize.

For further information, please contact: Elena Canadelli, elena.canadelliunipd.it

https://brill.com/view/journals/nun/nun-overview.xml?srsltid=AfmBOorH8G4TbkDFTiUOLBmJHUUOf3jGjljN-Pwrrybb4zi4rAVHNVNG