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 62nd Annual CAGS Conference, to be held in Toronto, Ontario., in November 2024.
Eligibility

The following dissertations are eligible:

a) A dissertation in any discipline in engineering, medical sciences and natural sciences completed and accepted by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

b) A dissertation in any discipline in the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences completed and accepted by GPS between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

In interdisciplinary domains or in fields that overlap the two broad areas in which the prizes are given, the dean of GPS 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 GPS for final selection. Students are to contact their department for information.
Nomination Procedures

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

Refer the 2024 CAGS/ProQuest Memo to Departments for complete details and instructions.

Adjudication Procedures
GPS's 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 Monday, February 26, 2024.

Deadline for GPS to submit one university nomination to CAGS is March 29, 2024.

Resources