A completed PhD thesis represents the culmination of not only a doctoral degree, but of an individual’s entire academic training. This product of multiple years of sustained effort reflects a student’s expertise in their specialism and their proficiency in conducting high-quality research.

MDPI understands that celebrating the outstanding efforts of PhD students can be particularly helpful as they start their careers, as early acknowledgement of excellence can help boost visibility and drive professional momentum.

The MDPI Best PhD Thesis Award therefore celebrates outstanding PhD theses, providing a platform for individuals who have shown great potential to make significant contributions to the scientific literature. It also seeks to support early career academics through common hurdles such as limited access to funding, constrained resources, and underdeveloped professional networks.

Here, we outline the important selection criteria, prizes, and share some testimonials from some recent Best PhD Thesis Award winners.

Selection criteria and eligibility requirements

The Best PhD Thesis Award serves to provide inspiration to those on the cusp of their professional career. Therefore, the award’s eligibility requirements ensure that current or recently graduated PhD students are prioritised.

• The candidate must be a PhD student or recently qualified PhD fellow who has produced a highly anticipated thesis with great academic potential;
• The PhD thesis must be their original work;
• The PhD thesis must have been previously defended.

List of documents for application

During the application process, potential awardees must provide the following 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 defences).

You can find journal-specific information regarding selection criteria and eligibility on the MDPI Awards page, or on the respective journals’ homepages.

Prizes

In addition to the accolade of ‘Best PhD Thesis Winner’, recipients of the Best PhD Thesis Award enjoy the benefits of various prizes.

Winners can expect to receive:

• A monetary prize (generally ranging between CHF 500-800);
• A certificate;
• A voucher to waive the Article Processing Charges (APCs) for one submission in the journal (subject to peer review).

MDPI is committed to nurturing talents at the start of their career. By providing APC waivers, MDPI hopes to encourage the continuation of their work through its global and freely accessible platform.

MDPI’s Open Access publishing model provides many benefits for early career academics. For those eager to establish themselves within a field, increased research visibility and citations can prove particularly helpful.

Testimonials

To further increase visibility of early career academics, MDPI shares interviews with its recent award winners.

Below are some testimonials from recent Best PhD Thesis Award winners.

“It is with great honor that I receive this award! This recognition holds a very special meaning, especially at such an early stage of my scientific career. It represents not only the acknowledgment of four years of intense work and dedication, but also the validation of the impact and excellence of the research carried out at IPO Lisboa and NOVA Medical School – Faculty of Medical Sciences.” – Dr. Filipa Martins, winner of the Cancers Best PhD Thesis Award.

“I am fortunate I was able to publish my first “first-author” paper in JCDD and appreciate all the journal has done for my scientific career. I have found the process of manuscript submission to your journal better than any others I have worked with.” – Dr. James Emerson, winner of the JCDD Best PhD Thesis Award.

MDPI’s commitment to supporting researchers

Awards allow MDPI to give back to the academic community, especially early career researchers. They increase the visibility of their research, encourage open communication between scientists, and highlight outstanding achievements.

Alongside the Best PhD Thesis Award, MDPI offers a series of other journal awards, such as the Outstanding Reviewer Award, Young Investigator Award, Best Paper Award, and more.

Read our article covering everything you need to know about MDPI’s awards program; alternatively, you can visit the MDPI awards webpage for more information.