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Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award

The PDK Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, which is funded through the PDK Educational Foundation, is a well-respected award that highlights exceptional education research. Each year, PDK International recognizes one winner who receives a cash award of $5,000 and the opportunity to publish a summary of the dissertation research in Kappan magazine.

The 2011-2012 application deadline has passed. The winner will be announced in February 2012.

Questions? Email memberservices@pdkintl.org.

2010-11 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Recipient: Dr. Bradley Fogo

Read the press release.

2010-11 Recognition of Merit Recipients

Kathryn L. Catina
David Mark Silver
Kimberly A. Truong

Eligibility Criteria for 2012-13

1. The nominee must be a member of PDK.
2. The nominee must be a recent graduate of an accredited college or university.
3. The nominee’s major field must be in education, or the dissertation must focus on an educational topic.
4. The nominee’s dissertation must have been completed (approved by the doctoral committee and accepted by the graduate school or school of education) between September 1, 2011, and August 31, 2012.
5. The dissertation must represent sound scholarship. The knowledge presented and the conclusions drawn must hold promise for the improvement of education. (Entries are not limited to a particular kind of research.)

Submission Requirements

Nominees must submit all of the following:

1. Application form will be posted by February 2012.
2. Dissertation summary
   • The summary should address all the items included in the “Required Content of Dissertation Summary,” including purpose, design, results, and presentation.
   • The summary should include the title of the dissertation and the pages should be numbered.
   • The summary should be 1,000 to 1,500 words in length, excluding the bibliography.
   • The summary must not include identifying information about the author/researcher or the degree-granting institution. Identifying information about subjects or sample populations is permissible.
   • The bibliography should include only the citations used in the summary.
3. Letter of endorsement from the chair of the dissertation committee
4. Transcript verifying that the doctorate degree was awarded by the institution

Timelines and Selection

1. Application and supporting materials must be postmarked and submitted to PDK International by mail, fax, or email no later than September 1, 2012. No entry will be accepted that is postmarked or submitted after this date.
2. Entries will be judged by a review panel from higher education.
3. All applicants will be notified of the names of the finalists. Finalists will be asked to submit a copy of the full dissertation for review by the selection panel.
4. Results of the competition will be announced by email and on the PDK website in spring 2013.
5. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash award. The outstanding dissertation summary will be published in a spring 2013 issue of Phi Delta Kappan.