ETDs: Awards
NDLTD: Innovation and Leadership Awards
The NDLTD—Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations--recognizes and supports innovative theses and dissertations and leadership within the ETD community.
The Innovative ETD Award supports current graduate students’ efforts to transform the genre of the ETD by creating innovative works through the use of, for example, research data management techniques and software to create multimedia ETDs. There may be up to three winners and each will receive $1,000 (US dollars).
Students are expected to use the awards to purchase specialized software, computer equipment or other technical support needed to produce or publish their innovative ETDs. Nominations should indicate how the award will support the application and integration of renderings, photos, data sets, software code or other multimedia objects in the ETD.
- A prospective thesis or dissertation may be nominated by a representative (e.g. administrator, faculty member or librarian) of an institution that is a member of the NDLTD. Self nominations are also accepted.
- The nomination should include the approved thesis proposal, along with a brief statement about how the work will use technology to enhance the presentation of the research in the forthcoming ETD.
- The ETD must become publically available immediately upon institutional approval.
- Students must provide an ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) upon acceptance of the award.
- Winners are required to record a video acceptance message for presentation at the annual symposium and distribution online, or provide an acceptance message in writing.
Past awards blurbs and pictures
The ETD Leadership Award recognizes individuals whose guidance and vision has helped raise awareness of the benefits of open access ETDs and whose efforts have improved graduate education and research through ETDs. There may be two winners annually; each will up to $500 (US dollars) to attend the next annual symposium and complimentary registration.
Nominations should include details about the individual's ETD-related activities and how the nominee's leadership has made significant advances in the area of ETDs at the local, regional, national or international level.
- The nominator or nominator’s institution must be an NDLTD member.
- If a winner is not a member of the NDLTD or is not associated with an institution that is not a member of the NDLTD, they will be eligible for a 1 year complimentary (personal or institutional) membership.
- Winners are encouraged to:
- Deliver an acceptance speech at the annual symposium, or
- Record in advance a video acceptance message for presentation at the annual symposium and distribution online
CGS
Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award
Two annual awards for completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution. Individuals must be nominated by a member institution.
Past award winners (PDF)
Topical Awards: Doctoral Dissertations
Computer Science and Engineering: ACM
Presented annually to the author(s) of the best dissertation(s) in computer science and engineering, it is accompanied by a prize of $20,000 (the Honorable Mention Award: $10,000). Winning dissertations published in the ACM Digital Library as part of the ACM Books Series.
Programming Languages: John C. Reynolds
Recognizes contributions Reynolds’ to computer science. Presented annually to the author of the outstanding dissertation in the area of Programming Languages. The award includes a prize of $1,000.
Marketing: John A. Howard/American Marketing Association
Students from around the world are eligible completing the requirements for degrees in marketing- and buyer behavior-related topics. Awards are based on quality of the dissertation’s contribution to theory and practice, originality and appropriateness of the research method, technical competence in the execution of the research, and the value of the findings in contributing to knowledge in marketing.
Industrial Engineering: Pritsker Corp.
The first-place winner receives a $1,000 cash prize from the Pritsker Corp., and invitation to present at the Industrial Engineering Research Conference.
Psychology of Aging: American Psychological Association
This award (cash and plaque) recognizes exemplary research contributing to the theory or practice of adult development and aging. They must be current members or affiliates of the APA Division of Adult Development and Aging (Div. 20) and must have completed or expect to complete their doctoral dissertation June 1-May 31.
Recognizes outstanding recent doctoral candidates whose research contributes significantly to an understanding of some aspect of information science. The award encourages participation of new Ph.D.s in the activities of any professional association by providing a forum for presentation of their research and travel support. $1,000, plus $500 towards travel or other expenses contingent upon the recipient's attending the ASIS&T annual meeting, and a certificate.
Virginia Tech Awards
- Outstanding Dissertation Awards
- Departments or eligible interdisciplinary programs nominate one author based on originality of idea, effective presentation, quality of writing, and contribution the field and future scholarly productivity
- ETD must be available online
- $1000 and a certificate for each awardee
- William Preston Society Master's Thesis Award
- Recognizes graduate students whose theses present the best original research with potential to benefit all people. Nominations may be made in three categories.
- Based on originality of idea, effective presentation, quality of writing, and contribution the field and future scholarly productivity
- ETD must be available online
- $500 and plaque
- Award-winning VT ETDs
CSGS
Conference of Southern Graduate Schools
CSGS offers two ETD awards annually
- Master's Thesis Awards
- Selected based the clarity of style and presentation, scholarship, research methodology, and contributions to the field or discipline.
- CSGS members may nominate one person per broad discipline whose thesis has been accepted during the past two academic years.
- $1,000 plus travel expenses to attend the CSGS meeting
- Master’s Thesis Award for Digital Scholarship
- Selected based on the clarity of style and presentation, scholarship, research methodology, contributions to the field or discipline, and the innovative use of technology in the presentation of the content of the thesis.
- CSGS members may nominate one person whose thesis has been accepted during the past two academic years filed an electronic thesis.
- $1,000 plus travel expenses to attend the CSGS meeting