Dan David Prize
The Dan David Prize is the world's largest history prize, awarding up to nine $300,000 annual prizes to early and midcareer scholars and practitioners. Funded by the Dan David Foundation and headquartered at Tel Aviv University, it has recognized 45 scholars across six continents since its 2021 relaunch.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersTel Aviv, Israel
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Dan David Prize does
The Dan David Prize is the world's largest history prize, awarding up to nine annual prizes of $300,000 each to early and midcareer scholars and practitioners whose work illuminates the human past. Founded in 2001 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Dan David and headquartered at Tel Aviv University, the Prize was reimagined and relaunched in 2021 to focus exclusively on historical disciplines — restructuring from three annual $1M prizes in rotating fields to the current model. Selection is handled by an annually-changing international committee of experts, with final ratification by the Prize Board; nominations are open to anyone worldwide via the Prize's online platform.
The Prize operates on a standard web-based technology stack centered on a WordPress content management system at dandavidprize.org, with integrations including Google Analytics for traffic analysis, Hotjar for user behavior insights, Mailchimp for newsletter distribution, and Google Workspace for email and hosting. The organization employs 1-10 staff and runs three core programs: the flagship Dan David Prize, the Dan David Society of Fellows (a postdoctoral program at Tel Aviv University funded by 10% of the annual purse), and the Name Your Hero Youth Essay Competition (a joint initiative with Tel Aviv Youth University for Israeli high schoolers).
The Prize does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded by the Dan David Foundation, a Liechtenstein-based nonprofit endowed in 2000 by the founder. Governance sits with a Prize Board chaired by the President of Tel Aviv University, with directors drawn from the CEO of PIMCO, the President & CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, and several leading universities. Since the 2021 relaunch through 2026, the Prize has recognized 45 winners across six continents, distributing more than $13.5 million in support of historical scholarship.
Dan David Prize firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dan David Prize
- Legal name
- Dan David Foundation
- Website
- https://dandavidprize.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Dan David Prize is the world's largest history prize, awarding up to nine $300,000 annual prizes to early and midcareer scholars and practitioners. Funded by the Dan David Foundation and headquartered at Tel Aviv University, it has recognized 45 scholars across six continents since its 2021 relaunch.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dan David Prize industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Research Prizes and Awards
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
Keywords
Where Dan David Prize is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tel Aviv
- HQ country
- Israel
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices2 records
Markets served
Dan David Prize business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Prize Award Disbursements: The Dan David Prize distributes prize money to winners. The annual purse is $3 million, with up to nine prizes of $300,000 each awarded annually to early and midcareer scholars and practitioners. The remaining $300,000 funds postdoctoral fellowships at Tel Aviv University.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Annual Prize Award - $300,000 per winner |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Dan David Prize product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Dan David Prize awards up to nine annual prizes of $300,000 each to early and midcareer scholars and practitioners for groundbreaking research in historical disciplines, drawing from a $3 million annual purse. The Prize also funds the Dan David Society of Fellows postdoctoral program at Tel Aviv University (10% of the purse) and runs the Name Your Hero Youth Essay Competition for Israeli high school students as a joint initiative with Tel Aviv Youth University.
Product overview
The Dan David Prize is the world's largest history prize, operated by the Dan David Foundation and headquartered at Tel Aviv University. The organization operates a portfolio of programs: the core Dan David Prize awards up to nine annual prizes of $300,000 each to early and midcareer historians, archaeologists, and practitioners; the Dan David Society of Fellows provides postdoctoral scholarships funded by 10% of the prize purse; and the Name Your Hero Youth Essay Competition engages Israeli high school students in historical storytelling. The organization was founded in 2001 and underwent a major relaunch in 2021 to focus specifically on historical disciplines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dan David Prize The world's largest history prize, awarding up to nine annual prizes of $300,000 each to outstanding early and midcareer scholars and practitioners in historical disciplines for groundbreaking research on the human past. Open nominations are accepted globally via the online platform; selection is by an annual international committee ratified by the Prize Board.
- Dan David Society of Fellows Postdoctoral scholarship program funded by 10% of the Dan David Prize annual purse, hosting outstanding international and Israeli postdoctoral researchers at Tel Aviv University in historical disciplines including history, archaeology, and anthropology.
- Name Your Hero Youth Essay Competition A youth essay competition inviting Israeli ninth through twelfth graders to participate and tell the story of their historical hero, with monetary prizes awarded for outstanding essays; run jointly with Tel Aviv Youth University.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45 scholars recognized across six continents since 2021
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Dan David Prize
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dan David Prize technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Dan David Prize partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tel Aviv UniversitycoreThe Prize is headquartered at Tel Aviv University, which provides administrative and scholarly support. The university's President traditionally serves as Chairperson of the Prize Board. The Selection Committee typically includes a faculty member.
- Tel Aviv Youth UniversityminorJoint initiative partner for the Name Your Hero Youth Essay Competition, inviting Israeli ninth-twelfth graders to participate in telling historical stories through essays.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Dan David Prize competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- John W. Kluge Center (Library of Congress): Administers the Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, a $1M award focused on humanities and history — directly comparable scale and disciplinary focus to the Dan David Prize.
- A.H. Heineken Prize for History: The Heineken Prize for History (€100K) is one of the few major dedicated history prizes; directly comparable as a disciplinary single-prize model, though smaller in purse size than Dan David.
- Templeton Prize: The Templeton Prize is a £1.1M annual prize for contributions to affirming life's spiritual dimension; comparable as a large, prestigious, single-discipline (humanities-adjacent) prize with similar global nomination/selection processes.
- Holberg Prize: The Holberg Prize is a ~$650K annual prize for outstanding scholarly work in the humanities and social sciences; directly comparable to Dan David Prize's history focus with similar nomination and international committee selection.
- Balzan Prize Foundation: The Balzan Prize awards ~$1M annually across multiple disciplines including history; it is a directly comparable large international academic prize that also targets outstanding scholarship with a comparable nomination/committee process.
Broad incumbents
- MacArthur Foundation: The MacArthur Foundation's 'genius grants' ($800K each) and broader humanities grantmaking make it a comparable large-scale US fellowship/grant funder, but with broader disciplinary scope than Dan David's history-only focus.
- American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS): ACLS administers fellowship programs for humanities scholars across many disciplines; comparable as a humanities-focused fellowship-granting organization but with broader disciplinary coverage and smaller individual award sizes than Dan David.
- Mellon Foundation: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is one of the largest US humanities funders, distributing hundreds of millions annually to humanities scholarship and cultural institutions — a much broader incumbent in the same humanities-funding space.
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): The NEH is the primary US federal agency funding humanities research and education; a broad incumbent in the same humanities-funding category with substantially larger scale but government rather than private-foundation structure.
Regional players
- Wolf Foundation: The Wolf Foundation, also headquartered in Israel, awards ~$100K Wolf Prizes across sciences, arts, and agriculture; a regional peer in the Israel-based foundation / international prize space with comparable scale and prestige model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses2 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dan David Prize social profiles
Digital presenceDan David Prize financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dan David Prize leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Dan David Prize funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Dan David Prize M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dan David Prize
What does Dan David Prize do?
The Dan David Prize awards up to nine annual prizes of $300,000 each to early and midcareer scholars and practitioners for groundbreaking research in historical disciplines, drawing from a $3 million annual purse. The Prize also funds the Dan David Society of Fellows postdoctoral program at Tel Aviv University (10% of the purse) and runs the Name Your Hero Youth Essay Competition for Israeli high school students as a joint initiative with Tel Aviv Youth University.
Is Dan David Prize a public or private company?
Dan David Prize is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dan David Prize founded?
Dan David Prize was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dan David Prize based?
Dan David Prize is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, in the Middle East region.
How does Dan David Prize make money?
One revenue line is on record: prize Award Disbursements.
Who are Dan David Prize's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are John W. Kluge Center (Library of Congress), A.H. Heineken Prize for History, Templeton Prize, Holberg Prize and Balzan Prize Foundation. Broad incumbents are MacArthur Foundation, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), Mellon Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Wolf Foundation is listed as a regional player.
Does Dan David Prize have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dan David Prize.
What industry is Dan David Prize in?
Dan David Prize's product category is Academic Research Prizes and Awards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAOAJ, Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International), with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 8132.