Government of France-Ministry of Health and Social Affairs - Social Security History Committee Award

Social Security History Committee (CHSS) Award

You will receive a share of the prize money amounting to 7,000 EUR for a doctoral thesis (PhD) or master’s thesis on the history of social security. Each year, the Commission awards up to four prizes and distributes the sum of 7,000 EUR amongst the prize-winners at the jury’s discretion. It may also award an honourable mention without a cash prize. The prize is awarded by the Committee for Social History Research (CHSS), which was established in 1973 within the French Ministry of Social Affairs. The prize-winners are also required to write an article based on their work for the Committee’s journal, the ‘Revue d’histoire de la protection sociale’.

Who can apply

• Level: You have completed a PhD or a Master’s thesis.
• Topic: Your work is about the history of social protection in a broad sense, including unemployment and social welfare. International topics count too.
• Timing: You completed your final-year dissertation or PhD thesis less than three years ago.
• Language: You’ve written it in French or English.
• Not yet published: Your work must not have been published, nor must it currently be in the process of being published. The prize is intended to help you get it published.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. There are no restrictions regarding your country or university.

How to apply

Please send your application by email to the committee’s secretariat. Please include a covering letter explaining why your work is relevant to the Committee’s field of expertise, along with a PDF file of your final thesis or doctoral thesis, an abstract, your CV and, in the case of a doctoral thesis, the defence report. The deadline for 2026 is 15 June. The selection panel consists of the committee’s scientific advisory board. Following an initial review, they may ask you to provide one or two printed copies.

How realistic are your chances?

This prize has a narrow thematic focus: your work must be current, unpublished and exclusively focused on the history of social security, meaning that only a few applicants qualify each year. If your final-year dissertation or PhD thesis clearly falls within this field and is written in French or English, you will be competing against a small number of entrants for up to four prizes, which makes your chances quite promising. The most important factor is a precise and well-reasoned alignment with the commission’s theme.