CAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

The CAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards recognize Canadian doctoral dissertations that make unusually significant and original contributions to their academic field. They were established in 1994 and are presented annually.

There are two awards:

  • One for engineering, medical sciences and the natural sciences; and
  • One for the fine arts, humanities and social sciences.

The Awards are granted by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) and are sponsored by ProQuest.

Value
$1,500 cash prize, a certificate of recognition, and an opportunity to attend the 61st Annual CAGS Conference, to be held in Victoria, B.C., in November 2023.
Eligibility

The following dissertations are eligible:

a) A dissertation in any discipline in engineering, medical sciences and natural sciences completed and accepted by the FGSR between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

b) A dissertation in any discipline in the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences completed and accepted by the FGSR between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

In interdisciplinary domains or in fields that overlap the two broad areas in which the prizes are given, the dean of FGSR will decide for which prize it is appropriate to submit the dissertation.

Application Procedures
There is no application form; eligible students must be considered by their home department and nominated to the FGSR for final selection. Students are to contact their department for information.
Nomination Procedures

Departments may submit the name of one nominee to FGSR via the GSMS Awards Portal.

Refer the 2023 CAGS/ProQuest Memo to Departments for complete details and instructions.

Adjudication Procedures
The FGSR Graduate Scholarship Committee adjudicates the competition and forwards one nomination for each award to the CAGS National Office by the applicable deadline. Successful nominees will be notified directly by CAGS.
Deadline

Deadline for Departments to submit one nomination via the GSMS Awards Portal is Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Deadline for FGSR to submit one university nomination to CAGS is Friday, March 31, 2023.

Resources