JERUSALEM (AP) — Nine emerging scholars of history from around the world were announced Tuesday as winners of the prestigious Dan David Prize, with each awardee receiving $300,000 to advance their work.

The Dan David Prize board said it is recognizing the historians for “changing our understanding of the past” by delving into under-researched topics. The winning research topics are staggering in their range: Dust in ancient dental plaque, interfaith rifts after the Holocaust, and white women’s complicity in slave ownership in American history, to name just a few. The award is administered by Tel Aviv University.

“Insights about the past should circulate through every part of every community,” said Aviad Kleinberg, historian and Dan David Prize board member. “A culture that does not understand its past is like an individual with acute amnesia.”

Dan David, the Romanian-born businessman who set up the foundation in 2001, initially aimed to recognize “outstanding contributions to humanity” with a $1 million prize each for three winners. Past winners have included renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert.