Education Minister Jason Clare says the federal government will invest $910,000 to fund the Simpson Prize for the next four years.

The commitment is in recognition of the value of encouraging history education in schools.

Former education minister Stuart Robert agreed to the funding, which was confirmed by the new minister to continue bipartisan support for the prize, which was established in 1998.

Students in years 9 and 10 are eligible for the prize, which recognises an outstanding essay on a question about the contribution of Australians during World War I.

Winners from each state and territory take part in a three-day history program in Canberra and an overseas or domestic study tour.

Past recipients have travelled to Gallipoli and the Western Front in Belgium and France.

The 2022 winners were rewarded for their essays on opportunities for women, nurses at Gallipoli, the impacts of shell shock and the spread of the flu.

Mr Clare presented the awards to prizewinners in Canberra on Wednesday.

"The Simpson Prize helps ensure that we don't just remember, but that we learn and there's so much to learn," the minister said.

"The (First World) War lasted for four years, but its impact has ricocheted like a pinball throughout time ever since ... the strains of the war divided us here at home and changed us forever."

Australian Associated Press