CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Grant

CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)
Amount: US $2,000
Last Updated: March 08, 2026

Summary

The CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes outstanding doctoral research contributions. This prestigious award, presented annually since 1981, honors exceptional dissertations nominated by member institutions. Eligible nominees must have completed their doctoral degree requirements between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025. The award spans two fields: Biological Sciences/Life Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts, emphasizing interdisciplinary work that significantly advances academic disciplines.

Overview

Graduate Student Awards CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award First presented in 1981 and sponsored jointly by CGS and ProQuest, part of Clarivate, these awards are made each year to individuals who, in the opinion of the award committee, have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline. Two CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards, each consisting of an award of $2,000 and a certificate of recognition, will be presented at the CGS Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon in December 2026, in Los Angeles, CA. Reasonable travel expenses of award recipients will be covered. Only the winners and the nominating deans will be notified of the outcomes of the competition prior to the Awards Luncheon. The fields of competition for the award include biological sciences, social sciences, mathematical and physical sciences, the humanities and fine arts. Winners are chosen by a committee of CGS member deans. Rotating on two-year cycles, contributions to the physical sciences and the social sciences are awarded one year; contributions to the biological and life sciences, and the humanities and fine arts are awarded the following year. The fields of competition for 2026 are: Mathematics, Physical Sciences & EngineeringSocial Sciences If a dissertation is multi- or interdisciplinary in nature, a significant portion of the work must be comprised by at least one of the 2026 fields of competition.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Nominations for the honor are made by “regular” institutional members of CGS in good standing and reviewed by an advisory committee of expert scholars in each field. Each eligible member may nominate one person in the field of physical sciences and one in the field of social sciences, for a total of two nominations maximum per institution. A separate nomination form and package must be submitted for each institutional nominee.