Best PhD Thesis Award

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Launched in 2021, the Water Best PhD Thesis Award is annually presented to recognize young scholars who are judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in the field of all aspects of water, including water science, technology, management, and governance, and to encourage the continuation of their outstanding work and further contributions to their field. Applications for this award are open from August to May of the following year, every year, and the winner is announced in July.

The prize includes the following:
– CHF 800;
– An electronic certificate;
– A voucher to waive the Article Processing Charges (APCs) for one submission in the Water journal (subject to peer review)—valid for one year.

Number of winners: 1

Water Best PhD Thesis Award

Application deadline: 31 May 2026Winner announcement date: 31 July 2026

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Eligibility and Requirements

– The candidate must be a PhD student or recently qualified PhD fellow who has produced an outstanding PhD thesis;
– The PhD thesis must be their original work;
– The PhD thesis must be defended in 2025.

Required Application Documents

– An executive summary of the PhD thesis in English of around 3000 words;
– A letter from the PhD supervisor recommending the candidate for consideration for this award;
– The candidate’s CV, including a list of publications connected with the thesis;
– An electronic copy of the PhD thesis;
– A scanned copy of the PhD diploma (or certificate of studying at a school or research institute as a PhD student going to graduate or participate in graduation thesis defenses).