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APSA Dissertation Awards

Departments are requested to submit a letter of nomination and a copy of the dissertation to each award committee member, and a letter of nomination only to the APSA office by January 15, 2010. Please do not ship a copy of the dissertation to the APSA office.

Gabriel A. Almond Award [$750]      
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of comparative politics.

William Anderson Award [$750]
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of state and local politics, federalism, or intergovernmental relations.

Edward S. Corwin Award [$750]
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of public law.

Harold D. Lasswell Award [$1,000]
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of policy studies (supported by the Policy Studies Organization).

Helen Dwight Reid Award [$750]
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of international relations, law and politics (supported by the Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation).

E.E. Schattschneider Award [$750]
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of American government.

Leo Strauss Award [$750]
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of political philosophy.

Leonard D. White Award [$750]
For the best doctoral dissertation in the field of public administration.

Organized Section Dissertation Awards
Organized section dissertation award recipients are generally selected by member committees appointed by the chair or executive committee of the section. The organized section recognize winners at their annual business meetings, which are held in conjunction with the APSA Annual Meeting. Deadlines and nomination procedures vary.  Please address questions about these awards to the award committee chair listed on the organized section's page.

LEGISLATIVE STUDIES
Carl Albert Dissertation Award
Topics may be national of subnational in focus-on Congress, parliaments, state legislatures, or other representative bodies. Dissertation must have a copyright date in the two years preceeding the Annual Meeting. For more details, see the Legislative Studies Organized Section.

PRESIDENCY RESEARCH
George C. Edwards III Dissertation Award
Given annually for the best dissertation in presidency research completed and accepted during the calendar year (January 1-December 31) preceeding the Annual Meeting.  The Award Committee welcomes nominations by dissertation committee chairs or committee members.  For more information, see the Presidency Research Organized Section.

RELIGION AND POLITICS
Aaron Wildavsky Dissertation Award
For the best dissertation on religion and politics completed and accepted in the year prior to the Annual Meeting year. For more details, see the Religion and Politics Organized Section. 

URBAN POLITICS
Best Dissertation Award
Nominations are invited for the best dissertation on urban politics, completed and accepted in the year prior to the Annual Meeting year. For more details, see the Urban Politics Organized Section. 

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
Virginia Walsh Best Dissertation Award
For the best dissertation in science, technology and environmental politics finished in the last two years. For more details, see the Science, Technology, and Environmental Politics Organized Section.

WOMEN AND POLITICS
Best Dissertation Award
For the best dissertation on women and politics completed and accepted in the year prior to the Annual Meeting year. To be eligible, a dissertation must be completed and successfully defended in in the previous calendar year. For more details, see the Women and Politics Organized Section. 

EUROPEAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY
Best Dissertation Award
Given for the best dissertation on European Politics and Society filed during the previous year. For more details, see the European Politics and Society Organized Section.

POLITICS AND HISTORY
Best Dissertation in the Field of Politics and History
For more details, see the Politics and History Organized Section.

POLITICAL ECONOMY
Mancur Olson Dissertation Award
For the best dissertation completed and accepted in the previous two years. For more details, see the Political Economy Organized Section. 

POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Best Dissertation Award
For the best dissertation in political psychology filed during the previous year. Send a hard copy of the dissertation to each committee member. Self-nominations are accepted. For more details, see the Political Psychology Organized Section. 

RACE, ETHNICITY AND POLITICS
Best Dissertation Award
The Race, Politics, and Ethnicity Section of the American Political Science Association is accepting nominations for Best Dissertation completed in the calendar year prior to the Annual Meeting year. Nominations can be made by chairs of dissertation committees or individuals completing the dissertation. For more details, see the Race, Ethnicity and Politics Organized Section. 

COMPARATIVE DEMOCRATIZATION
Juan Linz Award for the Best Dissertation in the Comparative Study of Democracy
For more details, see the Comparative Democratization Organized Section. 

HUMAN RIGHTS
Best Dissertation Award
Political Science dissertations that focus on human rights and that are filed in academic year prior to or in the Annual Meeting year. For more details, see the Human Rights Organized Section.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND ARMS CONTROL
Kenneth N. Waltz Dissertation Award
Awarded to a successfully defended doctoral dissertation on any aspect of security studies, which has been submitted in final, library copy in calendar year 2008.  The committee welcomed nominations for dissertations employing any approach (historical, quantitative, theoretical, policy analysis, etc.) to any topic in the field of security studies. Manuscripts are judged according to (1) originality in substance and approach; (2) significance for scholarly or policy debate; (3) rigor in approach and analysis; and (4) power of expression.   For more information see the International Security and Arms Control organized section.

Awards offered by other organizations
Includes dissertation, fellowships, grants and other awards for graduate students.