Winners of the CARMEN Project Prize 2019

We are delighted to announce the winners of the CARMEN Project Prize, 2019. The Prize is distinctive in that it recognises a project idea in any area of Medieval Studies, which has the potential to advance our understanding of the medieval period or its reception in important and/or innovative ways. The Prize aims to identify excellent projects in development, supporting them as they grow and potentially seek external funding. The Prize thus aligns with the distinctive mission of CARMEN as an organisation, which aims to foster ideas and collaborations, support projects in their early stages, and function as a laboratory and incubator for new work in Medieval Studies.
The winner of the CARMEN Project Prize, for a project idea / project in development in Medieval Studies is Philippa Byrne (Faculty of History, University of Oxford), for ‘Listening for the Middle Ages’: a project which aims to develop a series of medieval soundscapes for use in research and education. The judges were impressed by the importance and timeliness of the proposed project, and the clear strategic framework already in place. The research questions are clear and compelling, making a persuasive case for this strongly interdisciplinary project, which explores the Middle Ages in fresh and innovative ways.
Again, in 2019, the quality of entries was such that the judges awarded a discretionary Special Commendation award. The Special Commendation goes to Joris Roosen (Utrecht University) and his team for ‘The Black Death Digital Archive’. The judges were impressed with the cross-national reach of the project (both in its research team and the global reach of its research), and its potential to advance our understanding of the second plague pandemic using a multidisciplinary portal for both experts and the public. The project also shows the potential for exciting work bringing together Medieval Studies and the Medical Humanities.
Many congratulations to our winners, and thank you to all those who entered, who have each received individual feedback. The CARMEN Project Prize will run again in 2021. In 2020 we will hear updates from previous winners, and provide opportunities for workshopping potential Prize entries at our annual meeting in Ireland.