GWIC Thesis Prize and Stefano Braccini Thesis Prize for 2015: Call for Nominations
Please Note: The deadline for nominations is February 15, 2016.
The Gravitational Wave International Committee is pleased to announce that nominations for the 2015 GWIC Thesis Prize and for the 2015 Stefano Braccini Thesis Prize are now open. Both prizes recognize outstanding Ph.D. theses in the general area of gravitational waves. To better serve the community, GWIC and the Friends of Stefano Braccini have moved to coordinate the two prizes. From now on, there will be a common call for nominations, and all theses submitted will be considered for both awards by a joint selection committee. Two winners will be selected, with the GWIC Thesis Prize emphasizing the impact of the research on the field of gravitational wave science, while the Braccini Thesis Prize will be awarded with an emphasis on innovation.
Members of the gravitational wave community are invited to nominate students who have performed notable research on any aspect of gravitational wave science. Theses will be judged on 1) originality and creativity of the research, 2) importance to the field of gravitational waves and gravitational wave detection, broadly interpreted, and 3) clarity of presentation. Each winner will receive a certificate of recognition and a prize of US$1,000.
Since 2010, GWIC has recommended the GWIC Prize Thesis for the book series Springer Theses. Subject to certain qualifications, Springer Theses publishes exceptional Ph.D. theses in the physical sciences in their entirety. Since 2013, the Braccini Prize winner has also been recommended to Springer. If accepted, each winner will receive an additional €500 from Springer upon publication.
Further information can be found on the GWIC website.
Eligibility: Both prizes are awarded on a calendar year basis. Theses should have been accepted by their institutions between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. It is expected that many of the nominations will come from the member projects of GWIC, but this is not a requirement. Nominated theses may be in any language. A committee selected from the gravitational wave community will evaluate the nominations and select the winner. The selection committee will make all determinations about eligibility.
Nominations: Nominations should be submitted to the selection committee chair (Maura McLaughlin) by February 15, 2016. The nomination package consists of (i) the thesis, (ii) a letter of nomination, preferably from the thesis advisor, and (iii) a supporting letter from another scientist familiar with the work. The nomination and supporting letters should describe the importance and novelty of the research and how it furthers GWIC’s goals for the development of gravitational-waves as an astronomical tool.
Electronic submission of the thesis and letters is strongly preferred, with the thesis and the letters in separate pdf files. Electronic copies of the nomination materials may be sent to Selection Committee Chair, with a copy to the GWIC Secretary. All nominations will be acknowledged.
If electronic submission is impossible, please contact the GWIC Secretary for instructions concerning paper submission.