ISG/SUTA Outstanding Thesis Award 2005

Download the ISG/SUTA Outstanding Thesis Award Announcement Flyer (PDF)

(Note: Deadline has been extended to December 31st, 2005)

Call for Award Application

 The Iranian Studies Group at MIT (ISG) and the Sharif University of Technology Association (SUTA) invite applications for the ISG Outstanding Thesis Award 2005. We look for outstanding theses around the globe that address important issues related to contemporary Iranian society in the following priority fields: 

§         Business Administration and Management

§         Civil Society and NGO Management

§         Disaster Management

§         Economics

§         Education

§         Expatriate Communities

§         International Relations

§         Political Science and Sociology

§         Public Health

§         Regional Development

§         Sustainable Development and Environment

§         Women’s Studies

 Outstanding theses in other areas will be considered. The emphasis of the awards is on graduate thesis (Master’s and Doctoral), but outstanding undergraduate theses will be considered.  Nominations should be submitted no earlier than midnight, July 1, 2005, and no later than December 31st, 2005 (Deadline extended). For information on submissions, see below.

The goal of the thesis award competition is to encourage academic excellence in Iranian studies and to identify emerging young scholars of great potential. The thesis award creates incentives for pursuit of theses addressing issues of crucial importance to contemporary Iranian society, and provides candidates with an opportunity to have their intellectual contributions judged by panels of faculty members across the globe.

 ISG and SUTA will jointly administer the thesis competition, and forward theses in each category to a panel of judges that is comprised of outstanding faculty members in the field of thesis submission.

 Questions about this competition may be addressed to: Outstanding Graduate Thesis Award Committee, ISG/SUTA isg-thesisawards@mit.edu

Eligibility

To be eligible for the 2005 ISG/SUTA Outstanding Thesis Competition, Master’s or Doctoral-level theses must have been completed in the time period from July 1, 2004 to December 30th, 2005. Authors must have successfully defended their thesis or received the final approval and all required sign-offs on their thesis document by the time of the application. Applicants from all of the above fields of study, or applicants working on dissertations in the specified areas.  There are no citizenship requirements for this award, although prize disbursement for applicants currently living in Iran will be subject to certain restrictions described later in this document.

Submission Process

All papers and supporting documents must be received by December 31, 2005 (Deadline extended). Any documents received after that date and/or submissions without all of the appropriate documentation will not be reviewed.

ISG encourages submissions from all countries. However, theses must be submitted either in English or in Farsi (Persian). The following information and documentation should be submitted to isg-thesisawards@mit.edu  by the due date.

§         Completed Application Form  (Microsoft Word) (PDF)

§         A 2-8 Page Summary of the Thesis in English 

§         An electronic copy of the complete dissertation (in English or Persian) in Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF) with the applicants name and contact information clearly featured on the first page.

§         A one page statement of purpose (in English) outlining why the applicant believes this thesis is an important contribution for a better understanding of contemporary Iranian society or expatriate communities should be attached as a Microsoft Word document (or PDF)

By submitting the application, applicants agree to give the Iranian Studies Group the permission to reproduce the dissertation abstracts in its publications.

Acknowledgment

 Applicants will receive notification of the receipt of the application via email.

 Reviewing Process

 For each category, a panel of faculty members and experts will review each submitted thesis. Their evaluations will be used to select those papers that merit more detailed assessment as final candidates for the award. The dissertations of the finalist candidates will be reviewed by the Thesis Award Selection Committee, which will make the final choice. As this is an award competition, no reviews will be provided.

 Announcement of Winners

The winners of the thesis award competition will be announced in January 2006.  There will be no individual notification of the status of any competitor until the official announcement in December.

 Prizes

1^st Prize            $1,000 + ISG/SUTA Award Letter (One Prize)

2^nd Prize           $500+ ISG/SUTA Award Letter (Two Prizes)

3^rd Prize            $250 +ISG/SUTA Award Letter  (Four Prizes)

4^th-10^th Prizes   ISG/SUTA Recognition Letters

 Disbursement

 ISG and SUTA are barred by the U.S. OFAC Iranian Transactions Regulations - 31 C.F.R. Part 560 from transferring any funds to persons or legal entities in Iran. As such prizes for applicants that currently reside in Iran cannot be sent to Iran and will be deposited in accounts of their choice.

 For More Information Contact:

Outstanding Graduate Thesis Award Committee

Iranian Studies Group

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

email: isg-thesisawards@mit.edu

URL: http://web.mit.edu/isg/thesisawards.htm