Eligibility
- The author of the dissertation must be a member of the PSA
- The doctoral dissertation must have been examined and passed in the 2025 calendar year
- A dissertation can only be entered into one of the categories: if the dissertation could fit into more than one category, the nominee must decide which one they wish to enter
- Nominations must include a summary/expanded abstract of no more than 4 pages, minimum 10-point font.
Nomination Process
Nominations must be received via the online nomination form.
Nominations may be submitted by:
- Self-nomination by the author
- Head of Department, supervisor or another senior colleague
- PSA Specialist Group (nominees must be both members of the PSA and the nominating Specialist Group)
The nomination must include the following uploads, all of which MUST be anonymised: Any reference to the author’s name, institutional affiliation, or demographic characteristics (e.g., use of pronouns in the optional examiner’s report) must be removed before submission:
- Full dissertation manuscript (as a .pdf or .docx)
- An expanded abstract of no more than 4 pages – minimum 10-point font -outlining the main arguments and findings of the author’s work
- Optional: External examiner’s report
Judging Process:
The dissertation prizes will be judged by the Academic Prizes Committee chaired by a member of the PSA’s Executive Committee. The committee chair is responsible for overseeing the committee’s response, coordinating internal discussions, and communicating the outcome and rationale of the committee’s decision to the PSA team.
The judges will be provided with the extended abstract, full manuscript and the optional external examiner’s report (if submitted). Judges will not be provided with identifying information from the nomination form or informed who the nomination was submitted by (i.e., self-nomination, Head of Department or Specialist Group).
Nominations must be received by 6 April 23:59 (GMT)