Trench Gascoigne Essay Prize 2024
See the winners of this year's prizes.
Dating back to 1874, the Trench Gascoigne Essay Prize reflects and reinforces the Institute's status as a uniquely placed platform for free-thinking debate on defence and security.
Awards are made on the basis of originality, logical argument, sound analysis, style, clarity and conciseness.
Winners
Full-time education category
The winner in the full-time education category, receiving £1,000, is Daniel Skeffington for his essay: ‘Deterrence and War Powers’. Mr Skeffington is a Doctoral Student in War Studies at King’s College London.
Military career category
The winner in the military career category, also receiving £1,000, is Flt Lt Tim Shortland for his essay: ‘Crisis and Opportunity: How China and Russia Challenge US Hegemony’. Flt Lt Shortland is an Air and Space Operations Officer in the Royal Air Force.
The prizes were presented by Admiral Sir Tony Radakin KCB ADC, Chief of the Defence Staff following his Annual Lecture on Wednesday 4 December 2024.
Judges
The judges this year were:
- Lieutenant General Sir David Capewell KCB OBE, Distinguished Fellow, RUSI, and former Chief of Joint Operations, Ministry of Defence
- Professor Beatrice Heuser, Senior Associate Fellow, RUSI, and Professor of International Relations (Politics), University of Glasgow
- Air Vice Marshal Peter Dye OBE, former Director General, Royal Air Force Museum
 Competition sponsor
This year the prizes were funded from the RUSI Military Sciences Martial Power Programme.