Award status: Closed
Submission deadline: 23 September 2022
Submit: Online application form
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.
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 prize
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: 23 September 2022. Entries submitted after this deadline will not be considered for the award.
Eligibility
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 Jan 2019 and 28 February 2022 and have not applied previously for one of these awards.
Judging criteria
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, I would like to warmly congratulate the winner and the two highly commended research authors who scooped the top prizes in the 2021 Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. These dissertations set examples of research that fosters responsible management that positively impacts society.
We have been delighted to collaborate with Emerald Publishing to run the Award, whose new focus encourages and recognises excellence in scholarly output that brings a real change to the world.
The judging panel for 2022
- Vivek Aggarwal, Swami Vivekananda Subharti University, India
- Adalberto Arrigoni, Leeds Business School, UK
- Abhishek Behl, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay - India Constantin Blome, University of Sussex, UK
- Professor James Connelly, School of Law and Politics, University of Hull, UK, UK
- Fabio Caputo, Univeristà del Salento, Italy
- Cristina Gimenez, ESADE Business School,Spain
- 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
- Professor Wesley J. Johnston, Georgia State University, USA
- Geraldine Kennett, La Trobe University, Australia
- Professor Birgit Kleymann, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany
- Patrick Kraus, Hochschule Pforzheim, Germany
- Henri Kuokkanen, Institut Paul Bocuse, France
- Henry Kofi Mensah, Kwame Nkrumah University, Ghana
- Professor Lars Moratis, Antwerp Management School, Belgium
- Professor Fevzi Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, USA
- Ammani Pagadala, National Institute of Construction Management and Research, India
- Brandon Randolph-Seng, Texas A&M University, USA
- Zahid Riaz, Coventry University, UK
- Moade Shubita, Leeds Business School, UK
- Dr Minelle Silva, Excelia, France
- Reeta Singh, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, India
- Professor Uthayasankar Sivarajah, University of Bradford, UK
- Professor Peter Stokes, De Montfort University, UK
- Kim Lim Tan, University of Newcastle, Australia
- Professor John Thøgersen, Aarhus University, Denmark
- Martina Topic, Leeds Beckett University, UK
- Professor Chee Yew Wong, Leeds University Business School, UK
- Mohammad Zaid, Palestine Technical University (Kadoorie), Palestine
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!'
Meet our 2020 winners
Educational leadership & strategy
Sponsored by Journal of Educational Administration
Winner
Maxwell Ho Chun SingDissertation title: Teachers’ entrepreneurial behavior and its impact in school: Cases studies in Hong Kong “My passions, academic excellence mobilize me to apply for this prestigious award. I am honored to be the recipient of the 2020 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards. Thanks to the Journal of Educational Administration generous support. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Dr. Darren Bryant and Dr. Lu Jiafang, for the continuous support of my study and related research, for their generosity, motivation, and immense knowledge. Teacher entrepreneurialism is a new trend in educational leadership study, which can be found in great impact journal in the past few years. I hope that this study serves as one of the spearheads to contribute to future research in teacher entrepreneurialism. Furthermore, this is my responsibility to share my knowledge and practical experience in enabling teacher entrepreneurialism at school. It is a great honor and appreciation that I am the winner of this prestigious award that I will share this award's core value to others in the future”. |
Highly commended
Belinda C. HughesDissertation title: An investigation into a Chief Executive Officer of a multi-academy trust in England |
Florit Yaakov-FiruzDissertation title: Mentoring New Principals: Investigating the Models and Stages of Development of the Mentoring Process in the First Two Years of Principals’ Work “Being a recipient of the 2020 Emerald/EFMD Highly Commended Award in the category of Education and Leadership Strategy is a great honor. I would like to express my gratitude to Emerald Publishing, EFMD, for providing this award as an opportunity to promote my doctoral research. This prestigious award will certainly be a source of motivation and inspiration to me in my research career. Having researched the field of school principal mentoring, which is a crucial factor in the advancement and retention of school principals, I follow the same research path, turning now to the research of mentoring academic gifted students. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Chen Schechter, my doctoral advisor, from the program of Leadership, Organizational Development, and Policy in Education at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. Thank you for allowing me to spread my wings on this exciting, wonderful journey”. |
Finance
Sponsored by Managerial Finance
Winner
Stephen ZamoreDissertation title: Risk Management and Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions "Risk management and efficiency are important in achieving the double-bottom line of social and financial sustainability objectives of microfinance institutions which provide financial services to the poor in society. It is such an honor that my Ph.D. research in this field has been globally recognized and selected by the editorial team of Managerial Finance for the prestigious 2020 Emerald and EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the Finance category. I am grateful to Emerald Publishing, EFMD and the entire editorial team of Managerial Finance for the global recognition of my Ph.D. research. This is a great source of motivation not only for me but also for my followers and other young scholars to go higher in the academic ladder. I would like to also express my gratitude to my great advisors, Professor Roy Mersland and Professor Leif Atle Beisland, and the University of Agder for their wonderful guidance and training during my Ph.D. study" |
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Highly commended
Amira ABIDDissertation title: Optimal debt, implied rating and implied default probability: a quantitative analysis based on CDS |
Nicu SprinceanDissertation title: Business Cycles and Systemic Risk |
Boris FaysDissertation title: Efficient Construction of Linear and Nonlinear Equity Risk Strategies |
Ashley DingDissertation title: Environmental Delta: Essays on Energy, Volatility and Climate Change |
Health care management
Sponsored by Journal of Health Organization and Management
Winner
Lila Petar VrklevskiDissertation title: Professional roles and identity in public mental health services: the multifaceted interaction of belonging, attachment, power and activities |
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Highly commended
Anne SchmitzDissertation title: International analysis of the usage intention of virtual doctor appointments: an adaptation of the UTAUT2 theory “I am really honored to receive such a prestigious recognition. This is, without doubt, a great motivation to keep on working and to create impactful and high-quality research. I would like to express my gratitude to the Editorial Team of the Journal of Health Organization and Management and both my thesis advisors, Ana Díaz Martín and María Jesús Yagüe Guillén.” |
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Charlotte SharpDissertation title: Products from healthcare research: designated boundary object to boundary object-in-use |
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Wouter A KeijserDissertation title: Opening Up Medicine: Physicians and Leadership in Times of Transformation |
Human resource management
Sponsored by Personnel Review
Winner
Roxanne StockwellDissertation title: The Experiences and Responses of Business Graduates to Employer Selection Mechanisms: A Case Study |
Highly commended
Dr. Geetika Malik ChandraDissertation title: Organizational Consequences of Human Resource Outsourcing in Indian Organizations “It is truly an honour to be the recipient of Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards 2020 in the Human Resource Management category. "It is quite a feat to receive such recognition at the global level. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Emerald publishing, EFMD & the Editorial board of 'Personnel Review' for providing a platform to recognize the work of budding researchers while giving them a chance to shine globally "I would like to thank all the faculty members of Faculty of Management Studies (University of Delhi), the management of different organizations, respondents and all others for their direct or indirect contribution in this study. I am especially thankful to my mentor, (my Ph.D. supervisor), Prof. A Venkat Raman who has always been a great source of inspiration and knowledge throughout the course of my research and even now. His unending support and guidance has contributed a lot towards my growth as a Researcher. I consider myself lucky to have him as my mentor. "I also thank my family for their unconditional support in completing my research endeavour. "Last but not least, I Thank God for everything!!!!!! I really appreciate Emerald/EFMD for organizing such awards”. |
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Giverny De BoeckDissertation title: The Realization of Potential in the Workplace: An Employer and Employee Perspective |
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Joey SoehardjojoDissertation title: Knowledge and HRM Practice Transfer in Emerging Economies: The Case of Japanese Joint Ventures in Indonesia "I am deeply grateful to the committee for recognizing the quality of my research. Receiving the Emerald/EFMD Doctoral Research Award is a high honour for me. It is also extremely valuable as it represents international recognition of my work which can lead to wider opportunities for the dissemination of my research as a junior academic. My doctoral thesis was selected for a best dissertation award in the categories of Labour and Employment Relations (by LERA), International Business (by AIB-UKI) and Human Resource Management (by EFMD)" |
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Nevena IsaevaDissertation title: Trust and distrust in intra-organisational relationships |
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Leadership & organisation development
Sponsored by Leadership & Organization Development Journal
Winner
Esme FrankenDissertation title: Building people up: Leadership and employee resilience |
Highly commended
Marcella HoogeboomDissertation title: Micro-behavioral Building Blocks of Leadership, Followership and Team Interaction |
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Dr Seren DalkiranCurrent institution: University of Notre Dame (UNDA), Utrecht University & Varna University of Management “It is an honour to be a recipient of the prestigious Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards 2020 in the category of 'Leadership and Organization Development' that acknowledges excellence among the most innovative scientific research with societal impact of the last few years. "I would like to express my appreciation to Emerald Publishing, EFMD and the Editorial Board of the Leadership and Organization Development Journal for this global recognition of my Ph.D. research. It is significant that with this award we are encouraged as the next generation of scholars and thought leaders who work at the nexus of theory and practise as well as science and society. This award underlines the importance for us to keep making an original contribution to the evolution of knowledge progression with societal implications and benefits. I believe that this is the future of science and scholarship. "I would like to thank the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) (Professor Dr. John Rees, Professor Dr. Kevin Watson) in collaboration with Utrecht University (Professor ir. Klaas van Egmond for his special mentorship throughout the years) and Varna University of Management (Professor Dr. Michael Minkov) with the support of the Global Millennial Research Team, Synergized Earth Network (SEN) for supporting me to create my own international Ph.D. program and generate a new framework of thinking, my own survey (based on established survey models) and unique quantitative and qualitative dataset that encompasses responses from Millennial leaders and young professionals from 117 countries. The market research company Kantar (TNS Nipo) gave their technical support in my data generation. My special thanks goes to the eminent Professor Geert Hofstede (in memoriam) who taught me the lessons and challenges around what it means to be a pioneer exploring the synergies between the world of theory and practise. Because we shared this deep understanding, I feel very honoured that I received his mentorship in one of the last doctoral projects in the final phase of his life. Alike many others who gratefully supported my research and societal work that derived from it, he believed in our shared responsibility to equip the next generation of leadership in the search for new leadership and organizational paradigms to tackle our most pressing challenges in the 21st century”. |
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Dr. Swapnil BarmaseDissertation title: Against the flow: A process theory of imprinting and economics of organizational compassion "With an unconventional outlook, my contention was that why don't we as management scholars focus on positive humanistic capabilities like our abilities of caring, compassion, resilience, forgiveness, hope, or temperance; why can't we model organizations as instruments of healing broken people, communities, and ecosystems instead of profit-maximizing machines, which is is all the more important in the current challenging times. Today, I feel honored and grateful to the Emerald Publishing and EFMD for the prestigious award, recognition, and dissemination of my research. I would like to thank the editorial team of Leadership and organization development for their time and consideration. Special thanks are due to my advisor Prof. Joan Fontrodona, and the entire family of IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, for their valued guidance and encouraging me to pursue my interests". |
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Svjetlana Pantic-DragisicDissertation title: The interplay between organizational capabilities and individual skills: Studies of technical and engineering consulting firms |
Logistics & supply chain management
Sponsored by International Journal of Logistics Management
Winner
Marc van den BergDissertation title: Managing Circular Building Projects “My PhD thesis helps to rethink the way building projects can be managed: it develops actionable knowledge for demolition and design managers’ challenges to reduce, reuse and/or recycle building materials. I am very honored that Emerald Publishing, EFMD and the editorial team of International Journal of Logistics Management chose to reward this work with an Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. Thanks go to Hans Voordijk and Arjen Adriaanse for helping me with many research challenges and brightening the way." |
Highly commended
Devendra Kumar PathakDissertation title: Performance Management of Sustainable Freight Transportation: A Study of Select Issues |
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Dung H. NguyenDissertation title: Order fulfilment and consumer behavior in online retailing "I am honored to be Highly Commended in the 2020 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the Logistics and supply chain management category. I would like to express my gratitude to Emerald Publishing, EFMD, and the editorial team of International Journal of Logistics Management for this international recognition of my PhD research. This prestigious award will motivate me to continue pursuing my research interests and producing high-quality research. I am especially thankful to my promoters, Prof. Dr. Wout Dullaert and Prof. Dr. Ir. Sander de Leeuw, and my co-promoter, Dr. Jelle de Vries, for their extraordinary guidance and support. This work would not have been possible without them." |
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Ricardo Augusto ZimmermannDissertation title: Innovation and supply chain management: strategies, capabilities, and the effect of fit on business performance "I am very happy and honored to have my doctoral research recognized as highly commended in the area of Logistics and Supply Management by Emerald and EFMD Global at the 2020 Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards. Thank you very much Luís Miguel D. F. Ferreira and António Carrizo Moreira for the guidance and support and thank you Emerald, EFMD and International Journal of Logistics Management for the recognition". |
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Management & governance
Sponsored by Management Decision
Winner
Kathleen M CrowleyDissertation title: Dynamics of Creativity: How Early Drug Discovery Scientists Experience Creativity “I am thrilled and honoured to have my study recognized for the Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. I would like to thank the editorial team of Management Decision for their time and consideration as well as my doctoral mentor Professor Shiasta Khilji who has always pushed and encouraged me. Pursuits of research, learning and teaching are not done for the fame and glory but it is always great to be recognized“. |
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Highly commended
Dr. Gunther GlenkDissertation title: Economics of Renewable Hydrogen “Green hydrogen could substantially reduce global carbon emissions but has so far been too expensive for widespread application. In my dissertation, I show how the rapid cost declines of renewables and innovation in Power-to-Gas technology have now changed the economic fundamentals for green hydrogen production”. |
Marketing
Sponsored by European Journal of Marketing
Winner
Tim HilkenDissertation title: Seeing is believing: enhancing the customer experience with augmented reality |
Highly commended
Freya De KeyzerDissertation title: Brand Communication on Social Networking Sites |
Hugo GuyaderDissertation title: The Heart & Wallet Paradox of Collaborative Consumption |
Michiel Van CrombruggeDissertation title: Empirical Studies on Manufacturer Direct Channels |
Rafael San José IglesiasDissertation title: Construction of Image and Attitudes Toward Global-Local Brand Alliances: The Effects of Globalness and Localness |
Ramona De LucaDissertation title: A cognitive approach to scent marketing: the effect of odor priming and processing dynamics on consumer aesthetic preferences and choices |
Operations & production management
Sponsored by International Journal of Operations & Production Management
Winner
Henrik FrankeDissertation title: Behavioral Challenges to Cross-Functional Teams: Essays on Politics and Conflict in Global Sourcing Decision Making “I am grateful and proud to receive this year’s award in the Operations and Production Management category! Thank you so much Emerald, EFMD, and IJOPM for picking my work among all the excellent submissions. A special thanks goes out to Prof. Förstl of EBS University, Prof. Heese of NC State U, and all my friends at GGS Heilbronn and ETH Zürich. Without your help, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” |
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Highly commended
Jon BokrantzDissertation title: Smart Maintenance - maintenance in digitalised manufacturing “It is an honour to receive the Highly Commended Award as a recognition of my five years of hard work as a Ph.D. student. My research has always been driven by the combined pursuit of academic excellence and industrial impact, and this award will encourage me to continue on this path in both research and education. I, therefore, direct my deepest gratitude towards Emerald Publishing, EFMD, and the editorial board of the International Journal of Production & Operations Management. In addition, I also thank my Ph.D. supervisors at the Department of Industrial and Materials Science at Chalmers University of Technology for their endless encouragement and support: Prof. Anders Skoogh, Prof. Cecilia Berlin, and Prof. Johan Stahre.“ |
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Philipp Christopher SauerDissertation title: Multi-tier sustainable supply chain management - learning from the minerals case "Receiving the Highly Commended Award for my PhD thesis is a great honour to me! This would not have been possible without the great collaboration with and support of my PhD supervisor Professor Stefan Seuring and his team. Moreover, I would like to thank the faculty and my peers at EurOMA doctoral seminars and the joint doctoral seminars held by Professor Stefan Seuring, Professor Martin Müller, Professor Rüdiger Hahn, Professor Michael Hiete and Professor Stefan Gold that provided invaluable feedback and opportunity for discussing my work. Finally, my appreciation goes to Emerald, EFMD, and the editorial team of International Journal of Operations & Production Management for offering this great chance for young talents to be recognized." |
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Rima Al HasanDissertation title: Exploring the interplay between process improvement approaches and product innovation "Great News! I am so honoured to have received the Outstanding doctoral research award, I would like to express my appreciation to my Ph.D. supervisors, Thanks to Emerald, EFMD, and IJOPM for recognizing and promoting doctoral research contributions" |
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Yiyi FanDissertation title: Multi-Level Buyer-Supplier Relationships and Their Influence on Supply Chain Risk Management “I am delighted to receive the Highly Commended Award in the Operations and Production Management category. Thanks, Emerald, EFMD, and the editorial team of International Journal of Operations & Production Management. I am thankful to my dissertation supervisor Professor Mark Stevenson for his support and guidance. My appreciation also goes to Lancaster University Management School which financially supported my PhD. I would also like to thank my family for their continued support.” |
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Tourism & hospitality management
Sponsored by Tourism Review
Winner
Christopher S. DuttDissertation title: The role of tourism in bridging the gap between expatriates and hosts: A case of the United Arab Emirates |
Highly commended
Samira ZareDissertation title: Recall and Post-trip Evaluation of Tourist Destinations; the Effects of Travel Order |
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 28th February 2022?
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.
Get in touch
If you would like more information about this award please fill out the form and one of our team will be in touch.