To provide students with more incentive to produce excellent projects, a number of institutions have sponsored specific prizes.  Check them out, and see if you might have a project that fits!

USM Center for the Study of War and Society

The Center for the Study of War and Society serves as a

local, national, and international resource for the study of

the history of warfare at the social, economic, political,

cultural, and military levels.  To encourage students to examine the myriad aspects and impacts of war, the Center is offering an award of $50 for the best paper on a topic related to the study of war and society.  

USM Center for Black Studies

The Center for Black Studies is an academic center

dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the

contribution of blacks to the cultural, political and

economic life of Mississippi and the United States. To further this mission, the Center is offering an award of $50 for the best paper on a topic related to Black Studies.

USM Center for Oral History

The Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage has

been collecting and preserving the stories of

Mississippians since 1977.  To further this mission, the

Center is offering an award of $50 for the best paper

that makes use of oral history sources, like personal interviews.

Society of Mississippi Archivists

The Society of Mississippi Archivists (SMA) celebrates

the important work of preserving the cultural heritage

of Mississippi. The aim of SMA is to serve as a point

of information for everyone interested in the rich

documentary history of our state.  To further this mission,

SMA is offering an award of $100 to the student whose project or paper best utilizes primary sources from a Mississippi archives repository (ex. University archives, library archives, historical society, courthouse, etc.).

Ulysses S. Grant Association

The Ulysses S. Grant Association (USGA), housed in the Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University, is dedicated to compiling a reliable documentary record of Grant’s writings and his contemporaries to better understand the man and his times.  To further this mission, USGA offers an award of $100 for the best project on a Civil War & Reconstruction-era topic.

Constitutional Government Award

Sponsored by veteran NHD advisor Tom Watts of Madison Middle School, this award of $100 will go to the National History Day project whose sound research best contributes to our understanding of our Constitutional government or advances our understanding of the importance of Constitutional government for a stable, open, and vibrant society.

Spirit of History Day (nomination form)

Sponsored by our very own winner of the 2010 History Channel Service Award, Renee McClendon, we will offer 4 awards of $100 each to projects that demonstrate passion for learning and advanced critical and creative thinking skills.  Teachers can nominate up to two students from each school when they register for the State contest.

National History Day in Mississippi

At the state competition, the highest award is the Best in Show, and we award one for the high school division and one for the middle school division.  Each winning project earns a travel award of $250 (to be split evenly for group projects).