IAU PhD Prize
The IAU PhD Prize recognises outstanding PhD research achievements around the world. Each of the nine IAU Divisions has, once a year, the opportunity to award a PhD prize to the candidate it feels has carried out the most remarkable work in the Division's subject area during the previous year. Additionally, a separate prize, the PhD prize-at-large, may be awarded jointly by all Divisions to eligible applicants who conducted their PhD research under challenging circumstances.
The awards are announced in June of the year following the deadline. PhD prize winners from the triennium preceding a General Assembly will be invited to present their work (remotely or in-person) during the Division Days at that General Assembly. The IAU covers the GA registration fee for the winners. Additionally, the winners will have the opportunity to record a presentation describing their thesis work, for upload on the IAU website and social media.
Eligibility
The IAU welcomes a diverse and inclusive environment. The IAU PhD Prize is open to candidates (whether they are IAU members or not) from any country, regardless of whether the country has an IAU National
Membership. A nomination is not needed to apply. To be eligible, candidates must have defended their PhD Thesis between
December 16 of the previous year, and December 15th of the current year.
Theses that are in preparation or submitted, but not yet defended by
the deadline of a given year, are not eligible but can be submitted for
consideration the following year.
Selection Criteria
All applications will be reviewed and ranked by each Division's Steering Committee according to the following criteria:
- The quality of the PhD thesis and related output;
- The originality of the research contribution;
- The impact of the candidates' PhD work and its potential to advance knowledge and enable new discoveries.
For the PhD prize-at-large, the dissertation must meet the above criteria, whilst having been conducted under challenging circumstances. These could include, but are not limited to, working in areas affected by war, environmental disasters, or societal challenges; or personal, physical or mental challenges or disabilities.
Prizes are awarded based solely on the submitted material and the candidate's achievements at the time the PhD was defended (achievements post-PhD will not be considered).
How to apply
Candidates can apply for the PhD Prize by filling in the on-line registration form. A log-in is necessary to access the application form; candidates who already have an IAU account should use their existing credentials; candidates who do not (for instance, applicants who are not IAU members) must create an account before proceeding. Some of the information needed to complete the application are: an abstract of the thesis suitable for public consumption; a statement describing how the candidate meets the three selection criteria mentioned above; a 1500-word thesis summary; a copy of the PhD certificate (or equivalent); the names of three letter writers (one of which must be the PhD advisor); a CV; and a bibliography.
Applicants interested in being considered for the PhD prize-at-large
are also asked to submit a contextual justification no longer than 250
words to allow the assessment panel to determine their eligibility (please indicate whether this justification must remain confidential to
the assessment panel).