General information

The CHBGS will award one doctoral dissertation and one master’s thesis award in each of the four disciplinary areas: a) Math, Physical Sciences, and Engineering, b) Life Sciences, c) Social Sciences, Business, and Education, and d) Humanities and Fine Arts.

Eligibility

Nominations are limited to current CHBGS member institutions. Each institution member may submit one nomination for the dissertation award and one for the thesis award. Current and previously graduated students are eligible to participate. Eligible graduate students must have completed their degree requirements within two years of their nomination and have an approved thesis or dissertation.

Discipline Areas

Submissions are accepted from:

A) Math, Physical Sciences, and Engineering, B) Life Sciences, C) Social Sciences, Business, and Education, and D) Humanities and Fine Arts.

If a thesis/dissertation is submitted from a different area, the Awards Committee will decide its placement in one of the two groups, if appropriate.

Awards

The CHBGS Distinguished Dissertation and Thesis Awards consist of an honorarium of $1000 for the Dissertation Award and $500 for the Master’s Thesis Award. In addition, reasonable travel expenses will be covered for the winners of each category to attend the CHBGS Annual Meeting. All award recipients will be acknowledged at the meeting.

Nomination Procedures

Graduate Deans or their designees from CHBGS member institutions may submit one thesis and/or one dissertation nomination.

Nomination Materials and Deadline

Nominations are due by November 15, at 11:59 PM. All materials must be submitted as a single PDF using the following naming format:

(Note: Nominations that do not adhere strictly to these instructions will not be considered).

Required materials:

  1. Research statement (1-2 pages) outlining the research context and contribution to the discipline, prepared by the nominee.
  2. Abbreviated resume or CV (2 page maximum).
  3. Web link or electronic copy of the thesis/dissertation (for recent graduates)
  4. Letter of support from the major professor, focusing on the criteria for evaluation (clarity, scholarship, methodology, contributions).

Evaluation Process

Submissions will be evaluated by a committee of CHBGS deans and faculty based on:

Submission Instructions

Please upload the requested materials using the form provided below. Each institution is allowed to submit only one nomination per category. Nominations for different categories can be submitted either together or separately.

If you have questions, please contact [Dr. John E. Smith Jr., [email protected], 601-977-7937].