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King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize 2021

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2021 King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize!

Twenty awards are given across the year to celebrate truly outstanding research and theses completed by King’s doctoral students. The prizes are nominated by the external examiners and are judged by a panel consisting of the College’s Director of Research Talent and the Chair of the Research Degrees Examinations Board.  

We have an exceptional community of postgraduate researchers at King’s. Each year we recognise 20 of the very best, who have been nominated by their examiners. The standard is incredibly high, in terms of the quality and impact of the research and the clarity and skill of the written thesis. Most winners have published multiple papers and won prizes at conferences, some are already shaping their fields, forging new avenues of research and changing national policy, whether in the UK or abroad. It is definitely one of the most inspiring and enjoyable part of my role to read the submissions from the examiners and the supervisors’ supporting statements. -Dr Nigel Eady, Director of Research Talent & King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize panellist.

Take a look at some reflections from the 2021 winners:

Thesis: The legal nature of export credit insurance and export credit guarantee: a comparative study between the UK and China.

I feel greatly honoured to be awarded this prize. I would like to thank Prof Özlem Gürses and Prof Eva Lomnicka QC (Hon), my dear supervisors at King’s, for their endless support. I am also grateful to King’s for offering me a generous PhD scholarship and various conference and research allowances. My PhD is a pleasant and unforgettable journey in my life. I enjoyed a number of interesting training courses organised by the Centre for Doctoral Studies, which substantially improved my academic skills. I also benefit from my internship research project at the International Union of Credit & Investment Insurers, where I was able to examine whether the legal theory fits the practice in the real commercial world. For those who are about to submit, I encourage you to keep a health daily routine. Do work hard, but also eat well, sleep sound and get some exercise every day. And always take notes when you come up with some fresh ideas even if they are not directly related to your thesis. Happy research and good luck!

Thesis: Informing the knowledge gap of implementation of the World Health Organisation Surgical Safety Checklist in sub-Saharan Africa.

I loved every minute of my PhD at King’s and am indebted to my supervisors Dr Andy Leather and Prof Nick Sevdalis for their constant guidance and encouragement. They created an atmosphere that was both intellectually stretching and supportive. For me, writing my thesis was a way to express all that I had discovered and become passionate about over the last three years, which meant it was an enjoyable experience rather than a chore. I would encourage anyone interested in doing a PhD to find subject you love and supervisors who you can connect with – then you will have some of the best years of your life.

Dr Luis Medina, Faculty of Arts & Humanities

Thesis: Where are the Borders? (Re)Imagining the Nation in Contemporary Ecuadorian Literature.

I remember my PhD years at King’s as some of the happiest of my life. I can’t help but smile when I think that I was privileged enough to spend so many hours reading and writing about the literature that I love. One of the most decisive aspects of my doctoral experience was my fantastic supervision team. I’ll be forever grateful to Dr Elisa Sampson Vera Tudela and Professor Catherine Boyle from the Department of Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies. Their unconditional academic and emotional support helped me to produce a thesis that won three prizes and is already being edited for publication. After receiving my award in August 2020, I held a teaching position at the University of Manchester, and I’m thrilled to share that, from September 2021, I’ll be joining the University of Birmingham on a permanent lectureship in Modern Languages (Spanish).

Dr Emma Kinnaird, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoology & Neuroscience

Thesis: Beyond the stereotypes: characterising the unique features of underresearched eating disorder populations, and implications for treatment.

I feel incredibly lucky to have spent three years researching a topic that I feel passionate about, supported by two wonderful supervisors who really took time to adjust the project to my strengths and interests. I’m now taking the skills I’ve learned in my PhD and putting them into practice as I train as a clinical psychologist at Oxford University.

Dr Pablo Lopez-Custodio, Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Thesis: Design of Reconfigurable and Mobility-Variable Linkages with Singularity Analysis and Kinematic Analysis Using Generated Surfaces

I dedicate this prize, and the thesis itself, to the loving memory of my dad Sigfrido Lopez-Zamudio, who passed away during my first year of PhD in King’s College London. Thank you having been an ever-present inspiration.  

Dr Jessica Dafflon, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Thesis: Machine Learning Methods in Neuroimaging.

I feel honoured and grateful to have been awarded the King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize. I would like to thank the Center for Doctoral Training in Smart Medical Imaging for this opportunity, my PhD advisors Prof. Federico Turkheimer and Dr. Peter Hellyer. But above all, I would like to thank Prof. Robert Leech, Dr. Walter Hugo Lopez Pinaya, and Pedro Carvalho De Paula Ferreira da Costa for the support during the hard times and the brilliant discussions we had. Lastly, I would like to congratulate Thomas Helfer on also winning the King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize and on making my time at King’s College an unforgettable experience.

Dr Thomas Helfer, Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Thesis: Exotic Compact Objects in Numerical Relativity.

I am delighted to win this thesis prize, which was only possible with the help of the fantastic people that surrounded me during my Ph.D. journey. They not only helped me foster my passion and love for numerical relativity, but they were also there to share a coffe or beer during the challenging times. Thanks especially to Eugene Lim, my excellent supervisor, who always had time for questions and discussions, and shaped me into the scientist I am today. I would also like to thank Jessica Dafflon for being present during the difficult times and congratulations on also winning the KCL thesis prize.

Thesis: The timing of key events and mutational processes in tumour evolution.

I was really delighted to be nominated for this prize – it feels pretty surreal to write up four years’ work into one thesis, and definitely takes a bit of stamina! I have so many great memories from my time in the lab, where I was working on a project trying to reconstruct the evolutionary history of cancer from genome sequencing data. While I was based at the Francis Crick Institute, I was also affiliated with King’s, and definitely appreciate the great support I received from both during my studies.

Dr Jaffar Khan, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

Thesis: Novel transcatheter electrosurgical laceration of heart valve leaflets to prevent blood flow obstruction from transcatheter heart valve implantation.

I am thrilled to be awarded the Kings’ Outstanding Thesis Prize for my work on novel cardiovascular interventions. It is so unbelievably gratifying knowing that the techniques described in my thesis have already helped treat thousands of patients worldwide.

Dr Cristina Fernandez Turienzo, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

Thesis: Evaluation of the introduction of a midwifery continuity of care model for women at increased risk of preterm birth.

I am delighted to receive this prestigious award in recognition for my PhD work. I will always be in debt to my amazing supervisors Prof Jane Sandall, Prof Andy Shennan and Dr Kirstie Coxon, thesis committee members and many other people within Kings (and outside!) who supported me in one way or another. Thank you also to my examiners for such a positive online PhD viva experience. I have recently received a NIHR DSE award and I am looking forward to enhance my learning of clinical trials in global health.

Dr Tiago Rua, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Thesis: The economics of implementing new clinical pathways across community and hospital-based care.

As part of my PhD I have tried to bridge the gap between the economics and medical imaging fields by applying health economics methodologies across multiple clinical conditions and imaging modalities. Currently, I am working as a Programme Manager of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Elisa Bruno, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Thesis: Wearable non-EEG sensors for seizure detection

My experience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, has been fantastic during my PhD, and has helped me to develop professionally in a very inspiring way. It is a great workplace where I’ve found contagious positivity, enthusiasm and knowledge.

Dr Rosina Matilde, Social Science & Public Policy

Thesis: Deterrence and international migration: The criminalisation of irregular entry and stay in Italy and France.

It’s an honour to be awarded the King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize. I would like to thank all my interviewees, for agreeing to share their knowledge and experiences with me. A special thanks also goes to Professor Simona Talani, and to my examiners Professor Henk Overbeek and Dr Anna Sergi. Since finishing my PhD, I have joined the European Institute at LSE as a fellow, and look forward to continuing my work on migration.

Full list of 2021 winners:

Dr Bryony White,  English Language & Literature, A&H

Dr Luis Medina, Latin American Studies, A&H

Dr Jonah Miller, History, A&H

Dr James Rakoczi, English Literature and Medical Humanities, A&H

Dr Vinod Patel, Clinical Dentistry, FoDOC

Dr Tiago Rua, Health Economics, IoPPN

Dr Jessica De Faria Dafflon, Neuroimaging, IoPPN

Dr Emma Kinnaird, Psychological Medicine, IoPPN

Dr Elisa Bruno, Clinical Neuroscience, IoPPN

Dr Clemency Jolly, Cancer Genetics, FoLSM

Dr Jaffar Khan, Cardiovascular Sciences, FoLSM

Dr Cristina Fernandez Turienzo, Women and Children’s Health, FoLSM

Dr Michelle White, Surgery (Global Health and Implementation Science), FoLSM

Dr Thomas Helfer, Physics, NMS

Dr Pablo Lopez-Custodio, Kinematics, NMS

Dr Kristina Kubiliute, Mathematics, NMS

Dr Matilde Rosina, International Political Economy, SSPP

Dr Adam Day, War Studies, SSPP

Dr Rajan Basra, War Studies, SSPP

Dr Cheng Lin, Law, DPSoL

About the awards

Each King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize winner is awarded £250 and receives a certificate endorsed by the Principal.

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BERA Doctoral Thesis Award

Every year BERA recognises academic excellence and rigour in research by a Doctoral student. This underscores BERA’s commitment to championing educational research, and celebrating and recognise excellence in the education research community.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant should be a fully paid up member of BERA at the time of nominations.
• The institution at which the student submitted their dissertation should have confirmed the degree awarded by 31st December 2023; i.e. this award is awarded to education students who have completed their doctorate in the previous year (2023).
• Your research presented as a BERA Blog
• Complimentary registration at BERA Conference 2024.

Application Details

Application for the award should consist of a submitted nomination via the ‘apply now’ button (above left)

Supporting documents that must be uploaded are:

• A 1000 word extended abstract
• A supporting statement from your supervisor, second supervisor, examiner or other expert in the field outlining why they believe this dissertation meets the judging criteria below (500 words)
• a link to your thesis hosted on a website such as google drive, dropbox, apple documents etc.

Please note:

When submitting a document through the upload function on the application page, pleasure ensure the following:

• The file name of the document is in this format: APPLICANT LAST NAME, APPLICANT FIRST NAME, DOCUMENT TYPE.
• documents not recieved in this format will be ineligible for consideration.

If you require this application in a different format for accessibility reasons, please contact [email protected]  

Nominations will be scored by a BERA selection panel. The panel’s judgement will be framed by the following criteria:

• Research quality appropriate to the nature and context of the work undertaken
• Methodological Rigour and robust research design
• Critical engagement with, and application of, appropriate field related literature
• Effective and critical analysis of data
• Findings that demonstrate a potentially significant contribution to the field
• Clarity of extended abstract
• Originality of research area and/or methodology

2024 Winner

Thesis : The status and safety of teaching: A longitudinal study of why some young people in England become teachers, and why others do not

Honorary Postdoctoral Fellow at University College London

I completed my PhD at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education & Society in 2023. Within the context of national and international teacher shortages, my doctoral studied whether and why young people do, or do not, want to become teachers when they older,...

2023 Winner

Thesis : Education encounters, hybrid identities and spectral traces: contesting the myths of Aston through the accounts of South Asian Muslim Women

Assistant Professor for Race, Social Justice and Education at University of Birmingham

I am an Assistant Professor of Race, Social Justice and Education at the University of Birmingham. My research interests include: exploring the experiences of women in diasporic communities; culture and migration through a hauntological and...

2022 Winner

Thesis : New Faces and Changing Places: Discourse, identity and early career primary teachers in post-2010 Multi-Academy Trusts

Research Fellow at University of Birmingham

Dr Kathryn Spicksley is a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. Her postdoctoral project is concerned with developing a playful card game to improve dialogic mentoring between early career teachers and...

2021 Winner

Thesis : Imaginative travellers in-situ: A case study of Chinese students at a UK transnational Higher Education institution

Assistant Professor at Xiamen University

Jingran Yu won the BERA 2021 Doctoral Thesis Award for her thesis “Imaginative travellers in-situ: A case study of Chinese students at a UK transnational Higher Education institution“ You can read the abstract below: This thesis explores the...

2020 Winner

Thesis: Learner-Centred Pedagogy and its Implications for Pupils’ Schooling Experiences and Learning Outcomes: A Mixed-Methods Case Study in Tanzania

Assistant Professor at Hiroshima University

Nozomi Sakata is Assistant Professor in the Centre for the Study of International Cooperation in Education at Hiroshima University, Japan. In the field of Comparative and International Education, her research interests include educational policy...

2019 Winner

Research Associate at University of Sussex

Yasamin Alkhansa completed her PhD at the Center for International Education (CIE) at the University of Sussex, in 2019. Her thesis, was an ethnography of official history as lived and enacted in schools in Iran which won BERA's Doctoral Thesis...

2018 Winner

Professor of Education, Consultant Surgeon at Queen Mary University of London

Arunthathi Mahendran was awarded the 2018 BERA Doctoral Thesis Award for her thesis Surgeon Education, Engaging with the Immanence of Events Of Practice: An Exploration of the Ontological and Ethical Dimensions of Surgical Training and...

2017 Winner

Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester

Sophina Choudry was awarded the 2017 BERA Doctoral Thesis Award for her thesis: Mathematics Capital in the Classroom and Wider Educational Field: Intersections of Ethnicity, Gender and Social Class. The abstract for her thesis is below: “The...

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Swansea academic awarded best thesis prize

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A Swansea University academic has won the Agronomy Best PhD Thesis Awards for his research to establish a new combination of methods for the earlier detection of plant disease in food crops, which could have global economic and environmental impact.

The prestigious prize was awarded to Dr Alberto Hornero of the university’s Faculty of Science and Engineering by Agronomy  ̶  an open access journal from MDPI  ̶  for his PhD thesis. The thesis centres on detecting the early signs of disease caused by plant pathogens using a combination of field data, air- and space-borne imagery, and physical and empirical models.

This research is important as plant pathogens cause an estimated 16% global yield loss annually, a figure that has barely dropped during the last 40 years and can exceed 30% in regions with the highest food deficits. Also, global warming and international trade are increasing the risks due to emerging and existing pathogens that threaten agricultural production. In order to feed a growing world population, global food production has to increase by 50% in the next 30 years despite climate disruption and shrinking arable land.

Dr Hornero’s methods for the early detection of diseases can be used to help reduce disruption to global agriculture production and have substantial impact not only on socio-economic factors, but also on the preservation of the world’s ecosystem.

Dr Hornero said:

“This recognition of my achievement has great personal meaning for me, but I should also acknowledge my thesis supervisors, Professor Peter North of Swansea University and Professor Pablo Zarco-Tejada of the University of Melbourne, as well as former faculty member Dr Rocio Hernandez-Clemente, now Distinguished researcher at the University of Cordoba and all my collaborators, without whom this research would not have been possible. I am also grateful for the support received from Swansea University, which I have been proud to be part of. This recognition exemplifies the development of multidisciplinary and complex methodologies to bring science closer to its application context."

As part of his prize Dr Hornero will have the opportunity to publish a paper in Agronomy later this year and receive CHF 500 and a prize certificate.

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• Friday 1 April 2022 12:19 BST
• Delyth Purchase
• [email protected]

Emerald & EFMD outstanding doctoral research awards

International recognition for doctoral research in responsible management.

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Award status: Closed Submission deadline: We are no longer accepting submissions

Rewarding doctoral research that addresses the grand challenges

We’re proud to support the global research community through an award programme that recognises exceptional doctoral research that addresses the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs are an urgent call for action by all countries to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face including poverty, inequality, climate change, peace and justice.

On this page

• How does the award work?
• How to submit

Eligibility

Judging criteria.

• Meet our winners & judging panel
• Frequently asked questions  

Get in touch for more information

The last few years have been extraordinary and challenging on a global scale.

We’ve seen unprecedented change and disruption to our lives and the society we live in. There has never been more need for positive change.

This is why we’re pleased to partner with the EFMD to reward the work of doctoral students whose research can create a positive impact on a local and global scale in the area of responsible management.  

How does it work?

We champion the work of those who share our goal of contributing to a more ethical, responsible, and sustainable way of working. We’re offering a prize and two runners-up prizes for the best doctoral research from the last three years that addresses areas relating to responsible management.

Submit now if your doctoral research covers any of the following areas that contribute to a more responsible world:

• Responsible leadership
• UN SDG-related issues for responsibility
• Food poverty and security
• Sustainable supply chains
• CSR and greenwashing
• Reducing inequality
• Responsible and ethical marketing
• Innovative responsible management
• Social responsibility
• Responsible economics
• Curriculum development in responsible management
• Responsible management knowledge transfer partnerships

You don’t need to submit your full thesis to enter, but you need to succinctly summarise the most important parts of your research. Entries will be judged by leading scholars working in the field of management.

If you’ve completed your doctorate within the last three years, apply now!  

The winner will receive:

• A cash prize of £1,000.00
• A certificate
• A published interview on the Emerald website
• An opportunity to work directly with our partners Editage to create a bespoke and engaging research summary

Runners up will receive: a certificate and a published interview on the Emerald website.

Submit your research

To submit your work, you will need to  apply online using this application form .

The following documents are required electronically:

• Research Summary: A paper that summarises your doctoral research in no more than 2,000 words. Please state whether or not your doctoral research has been published and/or will be published in any form (conference paper, article, peer reviewed journal, etc). Please use the Research Summary template .
• Letter of recommendation/reference from a supervisor/senior faculty member:  the letter should state why your supervisor feels that your work is outstanding and what impact it will have. For shortlisted applicants, further contact may be made with the referee.

Submission deadline: Closed for submissions.  

To be eligible for the awards, the research must address an issue that is of importance to one of the subject areas listed.

The awards are open to those who have been awarded PhD following completion of viva (thesis defence) and received formal results from your institution’s awards registry between 15 January 2020 and 28 February 2023 and have not applied previously for one of these awards.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Originality and innovation
• Appropriateness and application of the methodology
• Quality of data/research
• Significance/implications for theory and practice.

Please note that the decision of the judges is final. Unfortunately, due to the large number of submissions, we are unable to provide individual feedback.

Meet our award winners & judging panel

On behalf of EFMD, it is my pleasure to congratulate the winner and the highly commended authors for their excellent research work that earned them the recognition of the 2022 Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. These dissertations reflect rigorous inquiry and the ability to generate innovative solutions to global challenges, serving as an inspiration to fellow researchers worldwide. We are happy to continue collaborating with Emerald to recognise and encourage exceptional doctoral research contributing to a more responsible world.    

The judging panel for 2023

• Dr. Vivek Aggarwal, Swami Vivekananda Subharti University, India
• Fabio Caputo, Univeristà del Salento, Italy
• Abderrahman Hassi, Al Akhawayn University, Morocco
• Richard Howarth, Nottingham Trent University, UK
• Talat Islam, University of the Punjab, Pakistan
• Zul-Atfi Ismail, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia
• Patrick Kraus, Hochschule Pforzheim, Germany
• Henri Kuokkanen, Institut Paul Bocuse, France
• Dr Brandon Randolph-Seng,  Texas A&M University, USA
• Zahid Riaz, Coventry University, UK
• Moade Shubita, Leeds Business School, UK
• Professor Peter Stokes, De Montfort University, UK
• Dr Martina Topic, Leeds Beckett University, UK
• Suzanne Smith, University of Bradford, UK
• Jing Li, University of Bradford, UK
• Constantin Blome, University of Sussex, UK

Our 2023 winners

Sherri Kong

Dissertation title : How multicultural leaders approach identifying and responding to problems in sustainability: A qualitative study Institution: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University PhD obtained at: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

"As a mother of bicultural children and having lived overseas myself, I recognised the complex thinking skills that emerge from navigating one’s identity between cultures. I was curious about how these cultural experiences could help a leader working in sustainability, since all sustainability issues cross borders.

The main implication of my research is that leaders from multicultural backgrounds have the cultural understanding and insight to navigate complex situations. We had participants share examples of how they used their cultural knowledge and language skills to facilitate dialogue, generate ideas, and influence behaviour change.

I hope that more people from bicultural and minority backgrounds recognize that their unique abilities are needed to address sustainability-related issues."

Read more about Sherri Kong's research, and download the infographic

Vasanthi Suresh

Dissertation title: Employment and Employability of Persons with Disabilities: Individual and Organizational Accounts Institution: SASTRA University (Chennai Campus), India PhD obtained at: Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India

Vasanthi Suresh has been Highly Commended for the 2023 Emerald and EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards for her research, which explores ways to enhance employment levels among Persons with Disabilities.

Persons with Disabilities (PwD) make up approximately 15% of the world's population. Shockingly, around 80–90% of working-age people with disabilities in developing nations are unemployed. Dr. Vasanthi Suresh's doctoral thesis delves into the perspectives of both PwD and their employers in India's organised sector to examine strategies for inclusive employment of this marginalised group.  

Read more about Vasanthi Suresh

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envision increased participation of minorities, including PwD, in global development. In line with the SDG mandate, countries are implementing measures to improve the employability of PwD. However, several countries, including India, are yet to see concrete results, with PwD continuing to face several challenges in accessing and maintaining employment.

Taking a phased approach, Dr. Suresh’s study examined perspectives of both employers and individuals with disabilities. From the employer viewpoint, some of the interventions under scrutiny included targeted recruitment and job matching for PwD. In the subsequent phase, Dr. Suresh directly obtained information from PwD regarding their access to personal and contextual resources, and how this impacted their perceived employability.

"My study focused on understanding on-the-ground reality in Indian organisations that employ PwD with a focus on the interventions adopted to ensure inclusion, the demographic profile of PwD employed in the formal sector, and resources that could help enhance employability of PwD," Dr. Suresh clarifies.

Dr. Suresh's research revealed that despite the increase in measures aimed at enhancing employability, PwD may continue to face challenges in obtaining and maintaining jobs within Indian organisations for several reasons. “While on one hand we note active facilitation through inclusive interventions, this co-exists with passive discrimination limiting employment opportunities for persons with certain types of disabilities," she comments. Notably, the research suggests that the lack of information and awareness at the organisational level regarding the employability of people with various types of disabilities contributes to their exclusion from job opportunities. "An organisation's effective decision-making can be hampered by its own limitations in awareness, thinking, information availability, and time constraints," Dr. Suresh notes. "Tapping into available external resources can help address various conscious or unconscious biases and thereby avoid unintentional exclusion of PwD."

Another crucial finding of Dr. Suresh's research is that demographic differences impact employment outcomes among PwD. "There exists a need to consider the intersection of disability with other vulnerable identities, so that employer policies can be designed to effectively address the compounding negative effect of multiple intersecting vulnerable identities," Dr. Suresh observes.

Dr. Suresh's thesis encourages organisations to acknowledge the heterogeneity among PwD and avoid a standardised approach to job matching. The intentional and voluntary endeavors of employers can have a significant positive impact on job matching for PwD, facilitating their productive deployment.

"While compatibility between a job's demands and individual's capabilities needs to be achieved for effective deployment of PwD, the answer to the question 'Does compatibility exist?' is not always binary; a spectrum of opportunities that fall under: 'Possible, can be made compatible', resides between 'Yes, compatible' and 'No, not compatible'", she explains.

Dr. Suresh concludes by saying, "I feel incredibly grateful and honored to receive this prestigious award and humbled by the recognition. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my research advisor, Dr. Lata Dyaram, for her guidance and support through the various phases of this challenging but rewarding journey."

This study will indeed trigger more conversations among researchers in this space, towards promoting inclusion and integration of PwD.

Ahmed M. Adel

Dissertation title: Comparison of Chinese and Egyptian Consumers' Behavioral Intentions of Suboptimal Food Products: An Empirical Study Based on Economic Value and Social Psychology Institution: Cairo University, Egypt PhD obtained at: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China

Ahmed M. Adel has been Highly Commended for the 2023 Emerald and EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards for his research exploring the factors influencing consumers' choice of suboptimal food products.

Food waste has adverse social, environmental, and economic effects, making it a major hurdle in achieving sustainable growth. It is estimated that nearly one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted. The tendency of people to avoid non-aesthetic food products, known as 'suboptimal’ food products, is a major factor that contributes to food wastage. Dr. Ahmed M. Adel explored the factors that motivate or deter people from purchasing suboptimal food products and recommending such food to others in his award-winning dissertation thesis.  

Read more about Ahmed M. Adel

"Encouraging consumers not to avoid suboptimal food products might help reduce the burgeoning food waste problem. Despite the obvious imperative to identify the major factors that motivate or discourage individuals from choosing suboptimal food products, little research to date has directly investigated them. Meanwhile, most studies concerning preferences for suboptimal products lack the appropriate theoretical basis due to a disproportionate reliance on practical interventions," explains Dr. Adel.

Dr. Adel approached his research subject from two different perspectives. Firstly, he investigated how economic factors affect behavioural intentions of customers. Second, he explored the social and psychological factors that influence consumers' choices of suboptimal products. Since price reduction is becoming a straightforward approach to increase acceptance of suboptimal foods, Dr. Adel’s dissertation employs purchase value theory to examine behavioural intentions from an economic perspective. “This theory provides an appropriate framework to investigate behavioural intentions towards price promotions. Moreover, this dissertation extends theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate behavioural intentions from a social-psychological perspective," Dr. Adel notes.

Dr. Adel's dissertation significantly advances our understanding of the factors that motivate and demotivate customers to purchase or recommend suboptimal fresh produce. It lays a theoretical foundation for future targeted strategies aimed at reducing food waste. Moreover, his research represents a pioneering effort in identifying demotivating factors and cross-cultural influences on customer behavior related to suboptimal produce.

For managers seeking to implement sustainable market strategies, Dr. Adel's thesis recommends a gradual pricing strategy to promote suboptimal produce. It suggests that promoting suboptimal produce as a "good deal" rather than a "cheaper alternative" may increase demand. "Promoting suboptimal food products at reduced prices is a good strategy, but they also need to be promoted as 'a good deal' to increase the perceived value of such products for all consumers with different price perceptions. Promoting suboptimal products as 'a good deal' is important to make consumers perceive themselves as 'smart shoppers' while making decisions regarding suboptimal products," explains Dr. Adel.

Policymakers can play a significant role in promoting suboptimal food products across countries, according to Dr. Adel's research. State authorities can improve demand for suboptimal products through coordinated action with farmers and retailers. Governments can create or promote campaigns through popular media channels such as television and introduce awareness programs for kids and teenagers to make suboptimal produce a more attractive alternative and tackle food waste. "Creating a constructive community dialogue about the seriousness of food waste and the role of suboptimal products represents the first step in awareness creation and developing favourable social pressure," Dr. Adel concludes.

Previous winners

Meet our 2022 winners.

Vanessa Sofia Melo Magalhães

Dissertation title : Framework development for the prevention of food loss and waste: An analysis along the fresh food supply chain Institution: University of Coimbra, Portugal PhD obtained at: University of Coimbra

"The main goals of my PhD thesis were to advance our understanding of food loss and waste along fresh food supply chains and provide a research framework to guide future investigations seeking the most promising mitigation strategies.

I feel equally honoured and humbled to have been recognised for my work. It is a recognition of what I had set out to achieve with my PhD. I am grateful to the organisers of this award programme and the judging panel for acknowledging my contribution to responsible management and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

I also want to thank my research advisors, Professor Luís Ferreira and Professor Cristóvão Silva from the University of Coimbra. Their guidance, expertise, and unwavering support have been instrumental in the success of my research, and I am privileged to have worked with such outstanding researchers."

Rafael Lorenz

Dissertation title: Data-Enabled Productivity Improvement in Manufacturing Institution: ETH Zurich PhD obtained at: ETH Zurich

"Research on the effects of digitalisation on operational performance remains limited, requiring operations managers to make strategic decisions on digital solutions under uncertainty. My research informs operations managers how to prepare for digitalisation, supports manufacturers in exploring and selecting digital solutions that fit their specific requirements, and guides them how to implement and scale digital solutions in manufacturing.

I am honoured to receive this recognition. It confirms the relevance and importance of my research and will hopefully encourage fellow researchers. Most importantly, this research has been a joint effort and I am indebted to the support from my professor, my co-supervisor, and the colleagues I have been working with."

Marco Escadas

Dissertation title: From Sufficient to Necessary: The Integrated Role of Emotions on Consumer Ethical Decision Making Institution: University of Minho, Portugal PhD obtained at: University of Minho, Portugal

"The integrated role emotions play in explaining and predicting consumer ethical decisions uncovered in this research would appear to be significant not just for business, but for life as well. I am thrilled and honoured to be recognised as a Highly Commended entrant of the 2022 Emerald and EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards. This is really an amazing milestone.

A very special thank you to my supervisors, Professor Minoo Farhangmehr, from the University of Minho, and Professor Marjan S. Jalali, from ISCTE Business School, for their guidance, patience, and enthusiastic support in all stages of this process. Thank you very much to Emerald, EFMD, and the judging panel for continuing supporting emerging researchers and projects."

Meet our 2021 winners

Alfonso Antonio Hernández Vivanco

Dissertation title : Understanding Innovation within the context of the Integration of Management Systems Institution : University of Barcelona PhD obtained at : University of Barcelona

'I am thrilled and honoured to be the recipient of the Outstanding Doctoral Research Award 2021. It really means a lot to me, not only because of the prestigious international recognition that it represents, but also because I hope my work contributes to building a more sustainable society.

I am deeply grateful to Emerald Publishing, EFMD, and the judging panel for choosing to reward my research.

Special thanks to my supervisors Dr. Merce Bernardo and Dr. Claudio Cruz-Cázares of the University of Barcelona for their guidance and support. I also thank Dr. Paulo Sampaio of University of Minho for receiving me in his team for my PhD international stay.'

Amer Jazairy

Dissertation title : Engaging in green logistics: An eye on shippers, logistics service providers, and their interactions Institution : Texas A&M University PhD obtained at : KTH Royal Institute of Technology, University of Gävle

'It is a great honour to have my doctoral dissertation recognised as a highly commended winner of the 2021 Emerald and EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the field of Sustainable Supply Chain Management.

I am grateful to my supervisors Prof. Lars Bengtsson, Dr. Robin von Haartman and Dr. Andreas Feldmann for their unwavering support during my doctoral journey.

My appreciation extends to Emerald Publishing and EFMD Global for recognising the contribution of my research to responsible management and sustainable development goals.'

Leandro Nardi

Dissertation title : The Rise of Impact-Oriented Strategies: Value Creation and Socio-Environmental Firm-Level Goals Institution : HEC Paris PhD obtained at : Insper Institute of Education and Research

'I am thrilled to receive an award that highlights research contributions to the SDGs!

As a scholar, I hope that interest in nonfinancial performance, social impact and grand societal challenges continues to grow among researchers and practitioners in business and management.

Many thanks to Emerald and EMFD for recognising my work, and to all my mentors and coauthors –  particularly my supervisors, professors Sergio Lazzarini and Sandro Cabral – for their guidance and support!'

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to submit my full thesis?

No. You do not need to submit your full thesis. The judges’ decision will be based on your ability to succinctly summarise the most important parts of your research in relation to the judging criteria.

Am I eligible to apply if my viva date is scheduled for after 28 th February 2023?

No. However, this is an annual award and you can apply next year.

What should be included in my ‘Research Summary’?

Using the Research Summary template , complete the following details

• Why your research contributes to a more responsible world and any applications in practice if applicable
• What is original and innovative about your work
• The methodology you applied
• Your data and how they led to your findings
• Details of any papers published or presented based on your thesis research.

What should be included in the 'Letter of recommendation/reference from a supervisor/senior faculty member'?

NB. This should be from your doctoral supervisor, or any member of the committee/judging panel deciding on your thesis, depending on how your doctorate is conferred in your country or university.

It should answer the following three questions:

• What is outstanding about the thesis?
• What is the substantive contribution to the field?
• Is the data of good quality and how difficult was it to obtain?

Am I eligible to apply if my thesis is not in English?

Yes. You can apply provided that your application, research summary and reference letter are all in English.

I have already published a paper based on my research. Am I still eligible to apply?

Yes. You can apply whether or not you have published a paper from your doctoral research. If you have published, please provide details in your Research Summary.

Can I apply for more than one Outstanding Doctoral Research Award?

No. Unfortunately, we can only accept one application per person.

Can I apply if I have previously applied for an Outstanding Doctoral Research Award?

No. You can only apply for an Outstanding Doctoral Research Award once.

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BU Postdoctoral Researcher wins prestigious European award for best PhD thesis

Peter Howard-Jones, lecturer and Postdoctoral Researcher in Economics at Bournemouth University (BU), has won a prestigious prize for the best PhD thesis in the field of comparative economic studies.

The prize is awarded by the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies. This reputable award is given to the work that, in the opinion of the jury, has the greatest potential to impact the field of comparative economic studies in the future.

Peter Howard-Jones said: “I am both proud and humbled to have received this award and would like to recognise the significant support I have received from my supervisors, Tim Lloyd and Khurshid Djalilov, who have both been towers of strength and also from other academics within the Bournemouth University Business School community.”

The thesis, The Influence of the Washington Consensus Programme on the Transitional Economies of Eastern Europe - a Firm Level Microeconomic Analysis, explores the effectiveness of the Washington Consensus programme as a mechanism for improving national welfare in transition and emerging economies.

Peter Howard-Jones has received an invitation to join the LSEE-CEFTA Academic Network which is part of LSE Research and is looking forward to strengthening his research capabilities.

The prize will be awarded during the virtual European Association for Comparative Economic Studies conference in September 2021.

BU student wins Enterprise Mobility Intern of the Year Award

Laura Hopwood came first out of four hundred interns who entered the competition.

Business leaders gather for Sustainability Reporting Masterclass

The event hosted by the Centre for Sustainable Business Transformations at BU discussed the evolving landscape of sustainability reporting.

Bournemouth University claims Varsity win over Solent University

Bournemouth University continued their winning form at this year’s Varsity sports tournament against Solent University.

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Best PhD Thesis Prize for 2021 awarded to Robyn Muir

The School of Politics and International Relations is delighted to announce Robyn Muir as the winner of our Best PhD Thesis Prize for 2021. Robyn's thesis is entitled 'And They All Lived Happily Ever After? A Critical Analysis of the Disney Princess Phenomenon'.

We asked Robyn to share some thoughts on winning this award:

"I was absolutely delighted to win the School of Politics and IR’s Best Thesis Prize 2021. My thesis focused on the images of femininity within the $1.686bn Disney Princess Phenomenon. With a feminist lens, through facet methodology, I identified 5 models or ‘waves’ of femininity within the Disney Princess films through my own transferable film analysis framework. Through this, I then explored which of these models of femininity were dominant within princess merchandising, marketing and consumer experiences. Overall, I present an in-depth analysis of the remediations of the Disney Princesses, identify the micro changes within the princess phenomenon as a significant part of young consumer’s media diets, and therefore argue they must be critically examined to understand audience meaning making of gender within society.  My first monograph, which is based on my thesis, The Princess is the Political , is forthcoming with Bristol University Press, and will introduce my findings as well as my transferable film analysis framework.

I would like to thank my supervisors, Professor Lucy Sargisson and Professor Steven Fielding for all their support during my time at Nottingham – as well as afterwards! I would also like to thank my examiners for their feedback on my research. A huge thank you to my family, friends and Nottingham colleagues for all their support, and for always encouraging me. Finally, thank you very much to the panel for selecting my research for Best Thesis Prize, it is a great honour for my interdisciplinary approach to study the Disney Princesses to be recognised in this way."

Robyn now works at the University of Surrey as a lecturer in Media and Communications for the Department of Sociology. 

Congratulations Robyn!

School of Politics and International Relations

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08 July 2021

PhD graduate awarded prize for doctoral thesis on European law

The doctoral research was fully funded by a Centre for European Law scholarship.

Dr Luigi Lonardo, former PhD student at The Dickson Poon School of Law has been awarded the proxime accessit for the prize for the 'Best Doctoral Thesis on European Law', bestowed by the European Law Faculties Association (ELFA). The prize was officially conferred on 23 June, at the annual meeting of ELFA, which this year was held online.

The doctoral research, completed under the supervision of Professor Takis Tridimas , Co-Director of the Centre of European Law, and fully funded by a scholarship from the Centre, was awarded a PhD in June 2020 after being defended before a committee composed by Professor Inge Govaere (College of Europe) and Professor Panos Koutrakos (City, University of London).

The ELFA award for the Best Doctoral Thesis on European Law was established in 2012. The purpose of the ELFA Thesis Awards is ‘to stimulate and recognize outstanding legal research as well as creating more awareness of ELFA since it attracts a very high standard of applicants from numerous European countries’, as stated on ELFA’s website.

The jury for the ELFA Thesis Award has decided to award Dr Lonardo the Proxime Accessit place in this year’s competition for his thesis titled ‘Coping with distinctiveness: common foreign and security policy in EU law’. The motivation for the award, as one jury member wrote, was that 'this is a beautifully executed thesis. It offers a novel reflection on common foreign and security policy, it is written with great accuracy, it is well-researched, and it offers novel frameworks.’

The main thrust of Dr Lonardo’s ambitious thesis is to provide a systematisation of the interpretations of the intricate legal issues of common foreign and security policy given by EU institutions, as well as to offer explanations thereof, drawing from literature on European integration as well as from classic works of political thought. The main findings of the thesis are that, by and large, EU institution take a human rights-oriented view of the policy, and that this is in line with the desires of (some) Member States, as expressed at the time of negotiating the Lisbon Treaty. The thesis is thus of interests not only to EU constitutional lawyers, but also to scholars of EU studies more generally.

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Professor Takis Tridimas

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Departmental Outstanding PhD Thesis Awards

Students who submit their PhD thesis within four years of their start date will be automatically eligible for an Outstanding Thesis Award. Students do not need to apply to be considered for one of these awards. It is our intention as a Department that normally not more than 5 of these will be given in any calendar year and this will be subject to both the Internal and External PhD Examiners independently (prior to the viva ) recommending a thesis for the honour of the award. Recommendations made in a calendar year will be considered in the following year by a Departmental panel with representatives from all RIGs as to which theses should be made an Award: the Postgraduate Education Committee will be asked to ratify such recommendations and the students selected will be notified by e-mail in the first instance of their success. A letter from the Head of Department plus certificate and £500 prize will follow. All runner ups will receive a Highly Commended Thesis Award which consists of a letter from the HoD, certificate and £100 prize money.

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Applications Invited | IEEE UK and Ireland PES Chapter Best PhD Thesis Competition Award 2024 – Deadline Extended

IEEE UK and Ireland Chapter invites video submissions for the PhD Thesis Competition Award. The goal of this competition is to showcase PhD projects to the entire power and energy community – both in academia and industry. The PhD Thesis video should up to 10 minutes long.

Eligibility

• All PhD thesis in the UK and Ireland with final submission date on or after 01 September 2022 are eligible.
• The applicant must be an IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) Member.
• In order to be eligible, the applicant should give consent that the video may be published by UK and Ireland PES Chapter, and assure that the video does not contain otherwise copyrighted or confidential material.
• The topic of the PhD thesis should be aligned within the power and energy subjects.

Schedule & Important Dates

• Open Submission: 01 February 2024
• Deadline to Apply: 31 May 2024
• Judging Phase: 01 – 30 June 2024
• Winner Notified: 01 July 2024

Submission Guidelines

The applicant will provide a link to the video during the submission process along with an endorsement letter from his/her thesis supervisor explaining the contributions achieved with the research and a link to the thesis if it is available.

The video should summarise the PhD research. The length of the video should not exceed 10 minutes (strict rule).

The submission requires the following information: 

• Name (contact info)
• IEEE Membership Number
• Thesis Title
• Brief abstract (< 200 words)
• Keywords (3-5)
• Selection of related Technical Committees (TCs)
• Endorsement letter from supervisor

All submissions must be in English.

The full Thesis document may be requested if the panel requires further assessment.

Judging Criteria

Each submission will be reviewed by at least three judges from across the UK and Ireland Section to score and rank the video submissions. Reviewers will be asked to score the video submissions according to the judging rubric given below.

The winner will be identified based on the total score comprised of the following four aspects with their respective category weights:

• Problem definition (20%)
• Design methodology (20%)
• Achieved outcomes (20%)
• Quality of video and presentation (40%)

Notes: Please try to highlight the research content and contribution, instead of the received awards/achievements. English accent will not influence the scores as long as the voice in the video can be clearly understood.

Presentation of Awards

A plaque will be awarded to the winner plus travel expenses to the UK & Ireland PES Chapter AGM in December 2024.

Video Guidelines

• Prepare a video that highlights your PhD thesis and its contribution. The length of the video should NOT exceed 10 minutes. It is suggested that the video should begin with a “title page” that includes the title of the video/thesis, the name of the applicant (the PhD student / graduate), the advisor’s name, and the university/affiliation.
• The video should be a live recording where the presenter appears on the screen most of the time and uses displays to explain the main points of his/her research. Only voice over power point video presentations is NOT recommended. An interactive presentation is HIGHLY recommended.
• All entries must be submitted in English.
• The video resolution should be high, along with high quality audio.
• The video must uploaded  onto online platforms (e.g. YouTube) and the link to be submitted.
• Use of copyrighted materials must be avoided. Proper citations/references to the materials should be included, including your own publications. It is the applicants’ responsibility to resolve any copyright issues before submission.

Intellectual Property

Describe your thesis without disclosing confidential information. Necessary permission from the sponsor should be obtained in case of the sponsored research project.

All nominations must be submitted before noon on 31st May 2024 (BST).

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Energy Sector Awards

Our community recognising scientific excellence.

Energy Sector PhD Thesis Award

The Royal Society of Chemistry Energy Sector will award a £1,000 cash prize for the best PhD thesis awarded in the field of Chemistry for the Energy Sector.

Eligibility

This is an annual award, open to all candidates that have been awarded (but not necessarily graduated) a PhD from a UK or Republic of Ireland University within the previous calendar year. Their PhD thesis should be original work predominantly in the field of chemistry that must have application in the Energy Sector.

The 2023 Thesis Award prize is now live and open to any candidate who submitted their thesis between January 2023 and December 2023 inclusive.

Adjudication

The RSC Energy Sector Executive Committee decides the prize winner based on a recommendation by the PhD Award Sub-Committee and the decision cannot be challenged.

The purpose of the award is to spotlight PhD research in the Energy Sector in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. A PhD Award Sub-Committee, formed by RSC Energy Sector Committee and co-opted experts, will assess the application and recommend the winner to the Committee for approval. The Sub-Committee may seek the advice of other professionals (academics, industrialists, RSC advisors/subject champions) to assess the merits of an application.

The PhD Award Sub-Committee will base their assessment on the criteria below from information provided in the candidate’s Executive Summary.

The judging criteria will be based on the following:

The level to which the work (thesis) addresses a clearly identified need in global energy requirements.

The degree to which the work adds significant new understanding to an aspect of the energy sector.

The presentation of the underlying chemistry on which the work is based.

The level to which the work, if implemented, could contribute to quantifiable environmentally sustainable energy provision (CO₂ reduction or abatement, reduction in toxic emissions, etc).

The dissemination of the results and engagement with the wider community.

• Candidates must have been examined and notified of award of PhD (but not necessarily graduated) from a recognised UK or Republic of Ireland university in the calendar year 2023.
• The candidate’s PhD thesis should be original work predominantly in the field of chemistry that must have application in the Energy Sector.
• Candidates must submit an application via email to the Secretary of the RSC Energy Sector ( [email protected] ) by the deadline of the competition.
• The RSC Energy Sector Committee decides the prize winner based on a recommendation by the PhD Award Sub-Committee and this decision cannot be challenged.
• More information on the rules of this competition can be found in the document at the bottom of this page.

Your application must contain:

• A pro forma application (link at the bottom of this page).
• Executive Summary of their PhD thesis no greater than 1,000 words, highlighting the relevance of the work to the Energy Sector and the RSC's commitment to tackling global challenges. The Executive Summary should clarify how their thesis contributes to a genuine need of the Energy Sector and explain the work's environmental, economic and social benefits.
• Candidates should note that the content of their Executive Summary is not the abstract of the thesis and will be the primary source of the judges’ consideration. 
• A letter from their main PhD supervisor recommending the candidate for consideration for this prize and confirming that the candidate meets the criteria for eligibility for the competition. 

Past Winners

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For more information about the Energy Sector PhD Thesis Award, please contact the secretary.

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Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on September 9, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students on a similar thesis or dissertation topic to yours.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

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Table of contents

Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations, other interesting articles.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

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University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

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Our researcher prizes

Important update - 2 april 2020.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, we have made the decision to postpone the 2020 round of our Researcher Prizes until 2021. Those who have been nominated for the 2020 round will be contacted in due course. 

Nominations for PhD students who would have been eligible for the 2020 round will be accepted for the next round in 2021 once open.

If you have any further queries about the 2020 round, please contact the team via email at [email protected] .

Research Prizes

Our Research Prizes recognise and reward outstanding cancer research leaders. Our prizes honour those who have made exceptional advances, and nurture the next generation of research leaders.

The Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research Prize  honours an individual who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the fight against cancer, making exceptional advances in the field, and has made significant contributions through research, leadership, collaboration and/or mentorship.

The Future Leaders in Cancer Research Prizes  recognise individuals who have demonstrated the potential to achieve world-leading status by producing research of international importance.

Student Prizes

At Cancer Research UK we support the brightest minds throughout their training and careers. Our annual student prizes recognise the achievements of CRUK-funded PhD students.

The Pontecorvo Prize is awarded to the CRUK-funded student who has produced the best PhD thesis and made the most outstanding contribution to scientific knowledge in their field.

Engagement Prizes

The Inspiring Leadership in Research Engagement Prize honours an individual and team members who have demonstrated strategic commitment to public engagement with science and have embedded a culture of public engagement within their institution or research group.

The Rising Star in Research Engagement Prize recognises an individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to stimulating interest in cancer research among the general public and/or Cancer Research UK supporters.

Patient Involvement in Research Prize recognises an individual or team who involve people affected by cancer in research in a high quality and meaningful way.

Celebrating our 2018 prize winners

We've awarded our annual research prizes, which this year celebrate a lifetime in cancer biology, an early diagnosis champion, and three leaders of tomorrow.

Celebrating our Engagement Prize winners

We've awarded our Research Engagement Prizes to four outstanding researchers, recognising their extraordinary commitment in actively engaging and involving the public and patients with science.

Past prizes

We're no longer awarding new prizes in these categories, but you can still find out about the outstanding researchers who won these prizes.

The Translational Cancer Research Prize recognised the cutting edge breakthroughs of outstanding research teams that united in the quest to ensure scientific discoveries benefit patients and the public.

The Jane Wardle Prevention and Early Diagnosis Prize recognised individuals who produced world-leading research in the field of prevention and early detection of cancer.

How to make a nomination

Nominations for our Research Prizes, Student Prize and Research Engagement Prizes are postponed until Spring 2021. If you have any queries, please get in contact with the team via email at [email protected] .

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Best PhD Thesis Award

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Molecules 2022 Best PhD Thesis Award. This award is for two PhD students or recently qualified PhDs who have produced a highly anticipated thesis with great academic potential.

The award has been granted to:

“Development of Modern Sample Preparation Techniques Utilizing Novel Materials Combined with Chromatographic and Spectrometric Methods for the Determination of Environmental Pollutants in Food and Environmental Samples” By Dr. Natalia Manousi, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

“Studying Protein Function with Fluorescent Nanoantennas” By Dr. Scott G. Harroun, University of Montreal, Canada

Each winner will receive CHF 800, an electronic certificate, and an offer to publish a featured paper in Molecules with the article processing charge (APC) waived before the end of 2023.

On behalf of the evaluation committee, we would like to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the applicants for submitting their exceptional theses and the Award Committee for voting and helping with this award.

Kind regards, Molecules Award Team

Award Committee

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CERN Accélérateur de science

• Liens utiles

La collaboration LHCb annonce les lauréats de son prix pour la meilleure thèse

12 août, 2024

Par LHCb collaboration

Les lauréats du prix pour la meilleure thèse LHCb de 2024, Shunan Zhang (2ème en partant de la gauche), Sara Celani (à l'écran) et Alessandro Scarabotto (2ème en partant de la droite), lors de la semaine LHCb, en juin à Glasgow, en compagnie de Patrick Robbe (porte-parole adjoint du LHCb, à l'extrême gauche) et de Johannes Albrecht (membre du comité de sélection, à l'extrême droite). (Image : Collaboration LHCb)

La remise du prix pour la meilleure thèse LHCb de 2024 s’est déroulée le 7 juin 2024 à l’université de Glasgow. Le comité de sélection, présidé par Lesya Shchutska, comprenait également Johannes Albrecht, Miriam Calvo Gomez, Wenbin Qian et Patrick Robbe (porte-parole adjoint de la collaboration).

Le prix pour la meilleure thèse LHCb récompense des thèses de doctorat particulièrement remarquables et des travaux ayant apporté une contribution exceptionnelle à LHCb.

Les lauréats du prix pour 2024 sont Shunan Zhang (Université de Pékin, Chine), Alessandro Scarabotto (Sorbonne Université, France) et Sara Celani (EPFL, Suisse).

Plus d'informations sur le prix pour la meilleure thèse LHCb sur le site web de LHCb .

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