Description: The Alexander B. Murphy Dissertation Enhancement Award (DEA) is a $1000 award granted to support dissertation field research of PGSG student members. Up to two awards may be granted annually.
Guidelines:
1. The competition deadline for the 2024-25 cycle is December 15, 2024. Digital copies of the proposal must be submitted to the current DEA Committee Chair by this deadline.
2. The competition is open to all Ph.D. students who are members of the PGSG.
3. Students should submit a mini-dissertation proposal, including sections on the research question(s), theoretical issues, conceptual framework, methodology, relevance to political geography, and a budget describing how the $1000 would be used. Proposals must not be longer than 10 pages double-spaced, 12 point font, 1” margins (excluding references).
4. A proposal selected for this award may NOT be awarded a dissertation research award from another AAG Affinity or Specialty Group in the same calendar year. If the PGSG awardee has received such an award from another AAG Affinity or Specialty Group, they must decline either the PGSG award or the other award. If the initial awardee declines the PGSG award, the award will be made to the next highest-ranked, qualified applicant.
5. If a student has already incurred expenses listed in the budget by the time of the award announcement, the student may use the DEA to cover those expenses.
6. The DEA proposal should be crafted from the student’s dissertation proposal which has been or will be submitted to the Ph.D. committee within the academic year following the Annual Meeting.
7. The results of the DEA competition will be announced to the winner prior to the AAG Annual Meeting. The award will be formally announced at the PGSG Business Meeting and payment will take place shortly thereafter. The winner’s name and dissertation title will be forwarded to the AAG for publication in the AAG Newsletter.
8. Questions concerning the competition may be directed to the members of the Dissertation Enhancement Awards Committee, listed here.