The 2024 E-International Relations Article Award winner is Simon Polinder for his article Through the Eyes of Love’: Looking at International Politics Differently.

Each year, E-International Relations invites PhD / doctoral students (at any stage) and early career academics (within 5 years of submitting their PhD) to prepare articles outlining novel, or under appreciated, ideas that contribute to a better understanding of international relations. The award welcomes articles on the widest range of topics, so long as they connect their subject matter to a global or regional issue – ideally with the aim of sparking debate that will contribute towards real-world outcomes. We welcome empirical, political, historical, legal and diplomatic approaches, as well as articles that discuss theoretical and disciplinary issues in an accessible way.

As the purpose of this award is to communicate new ideas to the widest possible audience, entrants must avoid writing in an abstract or overly jargon-laden manner. Papers must be concise, written to engage any informed reader – including non-specialists.

Shortlisted papers will be copy-edited and published on E-International Relations and promoted across all our social media channels to allow the ideas expressed to reach our audience of 3+ million readers. From the shortlisted candidates, one winner will be awarded and given book vouchers from our sponsors. The 2024 prize was sponsored by Edinburgh University Press, Polity, Sage, Bloomsbury and Routledge – who together offered a generous prize of £1000.

Entry criteria

1) Applicants must be a single author who is enrolled as a PhD student/candidate (at any stage) or be an early-career academic who has been awarded their PhD within the last 5 years (we can give or take a little here, so don’t worry too much if you are marginally outside this). We do not allow co-authored or group authored articles for this award.

2) Papers must be between 3500–5000 words, including references and citations. As references are included in the word count, keep referencing and quotation to a minimum and only cite where you are directly referring to essential literature/ideas.

3) You must write about a subject that you have academic insight on (due to your own primary research and/or data collection) and do so in a manner that allows your ideas to be understood by as wide an audience as possible.

4) If you are currently volunteering as an editor (any position) with E-International Relations, you are ineligible to enter this award.

Further details for submissions in the 2025 award will be announced in due course.