2010 INFORMS/Organization Science Dissertation Proposal Competition
Call for Submissions
Submission Deadline: August 2, 2010
We invite you to submit your dissertation proposal to the
INFORMS/Organization Science Dissertation Proposal Competition. Now in its
18th year, this competition is one of the most prestigious available to
doctoral students studying organizations. Finalists will present their
dissertation proposals in a workshop on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the
Fall INFORMS Conference held in Austin, TX. During the workshop finalists
will receive detailed feedback from a panel of respected organizational
scholars who act as final judges for the competition. The all-day workshop
also provides a wonderful opportunity to interact with a small group of
future colleagues. At the workshop, the judges will award a first and
second prize. The First Prize winner receives a free trip to the
Organization Science Winter Conference (registration, lodging, and $500
toward airfare and expenses). Second prize is a $250 honorarium.
In order for their dissertation proposals to be considered for this
competition, students must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1. Students must have defended their dissertation proposal between
August 1, 2009 and August 1, 2010, but not yet defended their
dissertation.
2. The expected completion date for students’ dissertations should be
on or before July 1, 2011.
3. No part of the dissertation or dissertation proposal may be
accepted for publication, provisionally or otherwise, at an academic
journal prior to submission for this competition.
We encourage all eligible doctoral students who are studying topics related
to organization science to submit summaries of their dissertation
proposals. Dissertation proposals addressing issues related to any aspect
of organization theory, organizational behavior, strategy, or
entrepreneurship are welcome.
Submissions should meet the following formatting criteria:
1. Proposal summaries must be no longer than 15 double-spaced pages in
12-point Times font with 1-inch margins. Up to 7 additional pages
containing references and exhibits may be included.
2. Because this is a dissertation proposal competition, empirical
results should not appear in the dissertation proposal summary or
appendices.
Dissertation proposals will be judged based on soundness of theory,
methodological rigor, and contribution to the field of organization
science. In keeping with the mission of the INFORMS College on
Organization Science, boldness and innovation of the dissertation will be
important criteria in the judging process.
The competition is being coordinated this year by Mary Zellmer-Bruhn of the
University of Minnesota. We are fortunate to again be using Organization
Science's ScholarOne manuscript submission system to manage dissertation
proposal submissions and reviews. The web address for submissions is
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/orgsci. If you do not already have an
account you will have to create one. This is a quick and easy process.
Applications must be received by August 2, 2010. Dissertation proposal
summaries that do not meet the formatting criteria will be returned to
students without review. In addition to the proposal summary, each
application must include a nomination letter from the applicant’s advisor
certifying that the student has advanced to candidacy and is likely to
complete the dissertation by July 1, 2011 – there is no need for a detailed
recommendation letter.
Please follow Organization Science's instructions for submitting your
proposal. A couple of important things to note:
• Your manuscript type is PROPOSAL
• Under section 2, Attributes, please select a few key words to aid
in assigning reviewers
• Under Section 4, Reviewers and Editors, do not recommend any
reviewers. However, you should indicate Mary Zellmer-Bruhn as your
preferred SENIOR EDITOR.
• Under section 5, Details and Comments, Paste your cover letter into
the window and use the browse attachment function to attach your COVER PAGE
as well as YOUR ADVISOR'S NOMINATION LETTER
• Under section 6, Upload Files, upload a copy of your proposal
WITHOUT ITS COVER PAGE OR OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. The first page
should include only your dissertation title and abstract.
Please direct any inquiries to:
Mary Zellmer-Bruhn,
zellm002@umn.edu