"Best Dissertation" Award Program

Deadline:  April 15, 2010

Introduction

Each year the Graduate School recognizes the University's top recent Ph.D. graduates by presenting 'best dissertation' awards.  The recipients receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a special certificate.

The award is given in each of four broad disciplinary areas:

• Arts & Humanities (including history and philosophy)
• Biological & Medical Sciences
• Physical Sciences & Engineering
• Social & Behavioral Sciences & Education

Eligibility

Current and former students who will have been awarded the Ph.D., or who will have successfully defended and officially submitted their dissertations to the Graduate School, between July 1, 2008 and April 15, 2010, will be eligible to be nominated.

Nomination

Each program may present one nomination, with the following documents, in this order:

1. the nomination form, available for on-line completion at: http://www.grad.umn.edu/fellowships/forms/best.pdf

2. a brief (1-page) c.v. highlighting education and employment history;
3. a list of honors and publications;
4. a nominating letter from the program Director of Graduate Studies (DGS);
5. a supporting letter from the dissertation adviser;
6. a double-spaced layman's summary of up to one page, to include a section on the significance of the research and, if available, the URL of the nominee's web site;
7. a description of the dissertation research and its conclusions, not to exceed ten double-spaced numbered pages (in font size no smaller than 12 point), written by the nominee, with each page bearing the nominee's name; in addition, appendices containing nontextual material, such as charts or tables, may be included.

[Note:  The committee may ask for a copy of the dissertation in making final decisions.]

Nomination Letter

The DGS should briefly describe the pool and the selection process, and then address the following, comparatively:

• the originality and importance of the research;
• the potential for significant contribution to the field;
• comparative comment on the publication record and the quality of the journals;
• other excellence indicators - e.g., discoveries, unique theories, inventions, creative products, patents, publications, book publication offers, job offers, professional organization honors.

Deadline

The nomination material, transmitted in five sets, is due April 15, 2010, at the Graduate School Fellowship Office, addressed as follows:

'Best Dissertation' Award Program
Graduate School Fellowship Office
314 Johnston Hall - East Bank
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
telephone:  612-625-7579
e-mail:  gsfellow@umn.edu

Selection and Announcement of Awards

The winner from each group will be chosen by faculty from the broad disciplinary area, in consultation with the Graduate School Dean's office.  Both substantive quality and methodology will be judged.  Selection will be based on the originality and importance of the research, and the potential for the student to make an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.

The winners will be announced in mid-May 2010, with an award ceremony in early June.

Recipients of "Best Dissertation" Awards

National Council of Graduate Schools

 ‘Best Dissertation’ Competition —

Each year the Graduate School will nominate two winners to the Council of Graduate Schools’ (CGS) national distinguished dissertation award competition, selected from current-year winners and the previous year’s winners who remain eligible.  CGS operates on a two-year cycle. For 2010, the fields of national competition will be the Social Sciences, and the Physical Sciences & Engineering, with a July 2010 deadline.  For 2011, the two areas of national competition will be the Biological Sciences, and the Arts & Humanities, with a July 2011 deadline.