Doctoral Dissertation Award
The iSchools Doctoral Dissertation Award recognizes outstanding work in the information field. Nominations are solicited from all members of the iSchools organization and judged by a selection committee drawn from leading international schools.
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The winner receives a prize of $2,500 USD, the runner up $1,000 USD.
Please note: The iSchools Doctroal Dissertation Award process is under revision at the moment. The next submission cycle will start in spring 2026 for dissertations sucessfully defended between 1 October 2024 and 31 December 2025.
Eligibility
Each member iSchool can nominate applicants for the award. The applicants should have successfully completed their Ph.D. according to the rules of their university between 01 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. The research can be on any topic in the information field, and use any methodology.
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Submission
Submissions must be made by the official doctoral advisor. Individuals cannot self-nominate.
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Review Process
A Review Committee evaluates the Awards submissions. Judging criteria for the Award concentrate on research question, method and study design and are mainly based on the 10-page summary.
Awards submissions go through a two-phase review procedure. In the first phase, which is anonymous, each dissertation summary is reviewed by two reviewers. The best five dissertations are then chosen for closer scrutiny and reviewing of a third reviewer. The dissertation with the best overall reviewing score receives the Doctoral Dissertation Award.
Materials
The following items should be submitted:
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Filled out Nomination Form
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PDF 1: An anonymized summary of the research in English, regardless of the language of the doctoral dissertation. Up to 10 pages including tables & figures, preferably in 12 pt Arial font, with one-inch margins (excl. references). References may be in any standard style format.
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PDF 2: Recommendation letter from the primary advisor/supervisor (first reader).
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PDF 3: The complete dissertation in PDF format should be submitted in its original language. An English translation might be requested, if necessary.
Timeline
Application Phase Opening: March 2027
Next Nomination Deadline: 30 April 2027
Decision notification date: t.b.a.
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All deadlines are in GMT-11 23:59.
Past Doctoral Dissertation Award winners
Dr. Meredith Dedema
Indiana University Bloomington (USA)
"Artificial Intelligence for Civic Engagement: A Social Informatics Study of AI-driven Public Consultation Platforms in U.S. Local Governments"
