The Research Degrees Examination Board awards an annual prize for outstanding excellence in a doctoral dissertation in each Faculty.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must have been awarded a doctoral degree by dissertation within the academic year. A doctoral degree by published work is not eligible for a prize. 

Examiners should make a doctoral dissertation prize nomination where they agree that the candidate has met these criteria: 

1. The candidate’s achievement is exceptional as demonstrated in the substance and presentation of the dissertation.
2. The dissertation contains a high level of originality and makes an important contribution to the research area or discipline/s.
3. The candidate has excelled in the use of research methods and/or techniques.

Examiners nominate suitable dissertations on their joint final report and nominations are noted by the Research Degrees Examination Board (RDEB).

Judging process

All nominations for each Faculty are reviewed by the relevant Faculty PGR Director in preparation for the first RDEB meeting of the following academic year. The Faculty PGR Director selects a winner for confirmation at RDEB. Where there are potential conflicts of interest, the Faculty PGR Director may appoint a nominee/s to assist in the selection process.

Announcement of results

The winners are informed when RDEB officially announces the awards.

Master of Science by Research (MScR) prize in the Faculty of Life Sciences

In addition to the doctoral prize, the Faculty of Life Sciences also runs a Faculty-level MScR prize.