2012 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

Instructions for Nominations

Nominations:  Each regular member institution of the Council of Graduate Schools may nominate one person in the field of mathematics, physical sciences and engineering. The effective date of degree award, or the completion of doctoral degree requirements and dissertation, must lie in the period of July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012, inclusive, for each nominee selected. Such degree award or completion is to be confirmed by the institution's graduate dean or other administrative officer responsible for doctoral degree programs.

Materials:  Each nominee must prepare an abstract (not to exceed 10 pages) of his or her dissertation, typed double-spaced on 8-1/2" x 11" white paper. In addition, appendices containing nontextual material, such as charts or tables, may be included. The pages should be numbered, and each should bear the name of the nominee. Letters from three referees selected by the nominee, evaluating the significance and quality of his or her dissertation work, are to be included in the nomination materials. One of these letters is to be from the nominee's dissertation supervisor, another from a member of the nominee's dissertation committee, and the third from a person of the nominee's choice. The nominee may also choose to include a brief CV. The institution’s graduate dean or equivalent institutional officer should send the following electronically in a single PDF to the Award Committee: abstract, any appendices, and the letters of reference. 

Nomination Form. The nomination form may be accessed on the CGS website by clicking here. Please complete and submit the form by clicking on the "Submit by email" button on the form.

Deadline:  All materials are to be submitted to the Award Committee electronically no later than July 31, 2012, in order to be considered. The subject line for the submission should read UMI MPSE. A small number of finalists will be selected from among the nominees, and the Committee will review their complete dissertations. 

Award:  Two CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards, each consisting of an honorarium of $2,000 and a certificate of citation, will be presented at the annual meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools, December 5-8, 2012 in Washington, DC. Reasonable travel expenses of the recipients will be paid. Only the winners and the graduate deans from the nominating schools will be notified prior to December 6.

Criteria:  The Council of Graduate Schools will name an Award Committee whose members have established records in the disciplinary areas under consideration.  At their discretion, additional consultation may be sought. The nominated dissertations should represent original work making an unusually significant contribution to the disciplines.  Both methodological and substantive quality will be judged. The following list, although not all-inclusive, illustrates the field considered as Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering: mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, data processing, systems analysis, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, geology, meteorology, astronomy, metallurgy, geophysics, pharmaceutical chemistry; aeronautical, architectural, biomedical, ceramic, chemical, civil, and electrical engineering sciences; environmental health engineering; geological, mechanical, mining, nuclear, and petroleum engineering. (For purposes of this competition, engineering technologies are not included.).

Address:  All nomination materials should be sent to cflagg@cgs.nche.edu no later than July 31, 2012.

Please Note:  The CGS/ProQuest Award operates on a two-year cycle in regard to fields of competition. The fields of competition for 2013 will be Biological/Life Sciences and Humanities.