Standing Committees
The Society’s Committees report to the Executive Committee and to Council.
Council appoints their members after receiving nominations from the Executive Committee. Unless otherwise stated, the President is responsible for ensuring that appropriate candidates are nominated to fill vacancies on Committees, and will work in consultation with the chairs of the committee and Executive to do so, with the exception of the Women’s Committee. Committees may co-opt additional non-voting members with the consent of Council.
Members of Council will normally be expected to serve on one or more committees during their period as a trustee. The Society’s committees may also include non-Council members with appropriate, skills, expertise and commitment.
The chairs of committees are responsible for ensuring that committees meet on an appropriate schedule to fulfil their purposes.
Awards Committee
The Awards Committee considers applications to the Carnevali Small Research Grant Scheme, the Initiatives and Conference Fund, and the Research Fund for Graduate Students. The PhD Awards Committee also considers applications to the PhD Bursary scheme, which operates on an annual basis.
Membership: Two members of the Society plus the Honorary Secretary (chair) and the Honorary Treasurer. Members of the committee will not normally serve for more than three years; the chair and the Honorary Treasurer may serve for the period of their office.
The Honorary Secretary considers applications to the Facility Grants for Undergraduate Students fund (which is also administered by this committee) with the exception of those applications received from their own institution, when other members of the committee are consulted.
Conference Committee
The Conference Committee is responsible for organising the central academic programme and new researchers’ sessions for the annual conference, and for advising and assisting the work of the local organiser in arranging hospitality and, where appropriate, accommodation. It is responsible for wide circulation of the call for academic papers, for accepting and rejecting proposals and for commissioning additional papers or sessions to ensure that the conference is of the highest quality and reflects a wide range of the research interests and concerns of the membership of the Society. The conference committee chair convenes the New Researcher Poster Prize, with one of the other conference committee members serving as chair, one EHS fellow and another Society member serving as judges.
Membership: Four members of the Society including a chair, plus the local organiser(s). The local organiser serves for the period from their appointment to the end of the conference; the chair and members may serve for three years plus up to an additional three years. The chair is ex-officio a member of the Executive Committee and is invited to attend Council.
Fellowships Committee
The Fellowships Committee administers funding to support the work of postgraduate students completing a doctorate and/or post-doctoral students converting a recently completed doctorate into published form. It advertises, and awards annually, a Power, a Postan and a Tawney Fellowship which are administered through the Institute of Historical Research (IHR). From time to time additional or fewer fellowships may be awarded.
Membership: Three members of the Society plus the President, the Director of the IHR and the convenor of the Department of Economic History at the London School of Economics (LSE). The committee is chaired by the Director of the IHR. The President, the Director of the IHR and the convenor of the department of Economic History at the LSE serve for the period of their office, other members normally serve for a three-year term.
Book Prize Committee
The Book Prize Committee awards the Society’s book prizes. These are currently: (a) for an outstanding first monograph, usually published within 10 years of the author having been awarded a PhD, and (b) for the best monograph in Economic and/or Social History, broadly defined, published by any scholar more than 10 years post PhD. These prizes are awarded on alternate years.
Membership: three members of the Society, including a chair.
Investment Committee
The Investment Committee considers reports from the Society’s investment advisers, monitors and reviews its reserve and investment policies, and recommends appropriate action by the Honorary Treasurer.
Membership: Two members elected by Council from among the Society’s membership and the Honorary Treasurer (chair). Members may serve for the duration of their term on Council.
New Researcher Prize Committee
The New Researcher Prize Committee judges the papers presented at the annual conference in the new researcher sessions.
Membership: Four members of the Society, plus a chair. Members will normally serve for a three-year period. Up to 11 ad-hoc members are appointed annually from members of the Society attending the conference.
Prize Committee
The Prize Committee considers nominations to the Crafts Prize and the Data Prize, which are awarded on an annual basis.
Membership: Three members of the Society, including a chair. Members will normally serve for a three-year period.
Publications Committee
The Publications Committee promotes the study of economic and social history through publication of relevant research and scholarship.
The functions of the committee are to devise and monitor a publication policy for the Society which will ensure that: the content and form of publications sponsored, or otherwise supported by the Society, fit with the overall objectives of the Society; the quality of publications is maintained at a level appropriate to a learned society; and the scope of publication is appropriate to the multiple constituencies of economic and social historians which comprise membership of the Society.
Membership: The Editors of the Review plus the Reviews Editor, the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary, the chair of the Schools and Colleges Committee, the chair of the Public Engagement Committee, the EHS representative on the RHS series (New Historical Perspectives), three other members of the Society including a chair. Members will normally serve for a three-year term or for their term of office; the chair may serve for three years plus up to an additional three years. The chair is ex-officio a member of the Executive Committee and is invited to attend Council.
Public Engagement Committee
The Public Engagement Committee is responsible for the development of the Society’s communication and IT strategy, which includes all matters relating to the Society’s website. It is also responsible for initiating and coordinating publicity for the Society, particularly relating to the annual conference; liaising with and monitoring the activities of any media consultant(s) or social media manager(s) the Society might engage; actively encouraging the use of social media for the benefit of the Society; facilitating and encouraging public engagement by members of the Society; offering advice to colleagues on media and public engagement matters.
Membership: a student member, two members of the Society (all three with a particular interest in the use of social media) plus a chair; the chairs of the Conference and Schools & Colleges committees. Members may serve for three years plus up to an additional three years. The chair is ex-officio a member of the Executive Committee and is invited to attend Council.
Schools and Colleges Committee
The Schools and Colleges Committee aims to promote interest in economic and social history in schools and colleges and to maintain good lines of communication between teachers of the subject at secondary and tertiary level. The committee considers nominations for the Society’s teaching prize(s).
Membership: at least four members of the Society including a chair. Members may serve for three years plus up to an additional three years. The chair is ex-officio a member of the Executive Committee and is invited to attend Council.
Thirsk-Feinstein Prize Committee
The Thirsk-Feinstein Prize Committee considers nominations for the prize for the best doctoral dissertation in economic and/or social history.
Membership: Three members of the Society including a (chair). Members of the committee will not normally serve for more than three years.
Women’s Committee
The Women’s Committee aims to promote the participation of women in all areas of economic and social history. It organises an annual workshop and proposes a session or sessions for the annual conference. It also encourages and sponsors proposals to the Publications Committee for publications related to its concerns. The committee makes reports to the Council of the Society and to the Executive Committee, and the organisers of the Annual Workshop make an independent report to the Honorary Treasurer.
Membership: membership of the committee is open to all and comprises: a chair, a secretary and a communications officer. Members will not normally serve for more than three years; the chair may serve for three years plus up to an additional three years. The chair is ex-officio a member of the Executive Committee and is invited to attend Council. The Committee is convened by the Women’s Committee.
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