Best Dissertation Proposal Competition -- Application Process

In order for their dissertation proposals to be considered for this competition, students must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Students must have defended their dissertation proposal between August 1, 2011, and August 1, 2012, but not yet defended their dissertation.
• The expected completion date for students’ dissertations should be on or before July 1, 2013.
• 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. Details can also be found on the College on Organization Science web page.

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 Jared Harris of the University of Virginia. 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 Monday, July 16, 2012. 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 adviser certifying that the student is likely to complete the dissertation by July 1, 2013 and the date when the student advanced to candidacy – 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:

• In step 1, select the manuscript type "Proposal."

• In step 2, Attributes, please select a few key words to aid in assigning reviewers.

• In step 4, Reviewers and Editors, do not recommend any reviewers. However, you should indicate Jared Harris as your preferred SENIOR EDITOR.

• In step 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 ADVISER'S NOMINATION LETTER.

• In step 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: Jared Harris, harrisj@darden.virginia.edu

2012 Committee Chair:

Jared D. Harris
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
University of Virginia
Darden School of Business
FOB 182
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6500
Phone: +1-434-243-5022
E-mail: harrisj@darden.virginia.edu