💰 Grant
CIES Gail P. Kelly Award 2026: $1,000 Prize for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation - Global South Opportunities
About this opportunity
The Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) is inviting nominations for the Gail P. Kelly Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation, an annual award recognizing exceptional doctoral research addressing social justice and equity in international contexts.
Established in honor of distinguished comparative educator Gail P. Kelly and her significant contributions to CIES, the award celebrates doctoral research demonstrating academic excellence, originality and strong methodological, theoretical and empirical foundations.
The award is particularly focused on dissertations examining social justice and equity issues across international settings. Eligible research may address topics including gender, race, class, ethnicity and nationality, among other related issues.
The deadline for nominations is 25 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Requirements
Eligibility Requirements
The award is open to Ph.D. and Ed.D. dissertations that meet specific eligibility requirements.
A dissertation must be:
• Written in English
• Completed at an accredited institution of higher education
• Focused on social justice and equity issues in an international context
• Academically excellent, original and methodologically rigorous
• Relevant to comparative, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary and international education
To qualify for the current award cycle, the dissertation’s final submission to the relevant university department, graduate school or other authorized university body must have occurred between July 2025 and August 2026.
The final copy must have been approved by the appropriate university or academic committee and formally submitted within this eligibility period.