Nominations for Distinguished Dissertation Nomination materials are outlined below

Distinguished Dissertation Award

Nominations due by 5 p.m. on June 15

The Council of Graduate Schools’ (CGS) Distinguished Dissertation Award is presented annually to individuals who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline (in two categories):

- Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering
- Social Sciences

As a CGS member institution, the University of Kentucky may submit one nomination per category for the national competition. Therefore, the University of Kentucky Graduate School is conducting an internal competition to determine the two nominees who will represent UK and is now accepting nominations. Nomination materials are outlined below.

Each CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award consists of a financial award of $2,000 and a certificate of recognition, will be presented at the CGS Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon in December 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Reasonable travel expenses of award recipients will be covered. 

Eligibility

The effective date of the doctoral degree awarded, or the completion of doctoral degree requirements and dissertation, must lie in the period of July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.

Nomination Process

ADs, DGSs and Graduate Faculty are encouraged to submit nominations for eligible/prior doctoral students.
🠟
Nomination materials are due by 5 p.m. June 15 to gsdean@uky.edu.
🠟
A review committee will recommend the final 2 nominees to represent UK.
🠟
The Graduate School will notify and submit selected nominees to CGS.

Nomination Materials Nominations that do not adhere strictly to these instructions will not be considered

Nomination Materials

Note: The category must be either Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering OR Social Sciences. Materials must be compiled as a single PDF and named as follows: DistinguishedDissertation_Category_LastName_FirstName_Institution.pdf  
Nominations that do not adhere strictly to these instructions will not be considered.

PDF must include in this order: 
▶ An abstract of the nominee’s dissertation (not to exceed five double-spaced pages). Appendices containing other material, such as charts, tables, and/or references, may be included as additional pages (not to exceed five pages). 

▶ Three letters of recommendation evaluating the significance and quality of the nominee’s dissertation work. One of these letters is to be from the nominee’s dissertation supervisor, another from a member of the nominee’s dissertation committee, and the third from a person of the nominee’s choice. 

▶ The nominee’s curriculum vitae (not to exceed five pages).

Timeline

June 15 – All materials submitted to gsdean@uky.edu by 5 p.m.
July 1 – Committee review and recommendations
July 3 – Nominees notified and submitted to CGS by The Graduate School

- Click here for more information.
- Past Winners: 2025 Council of Graduate Schools Distinguished Dissertations

Phone	859-257-4613
Address	502 Administration Drive