The Dissertation Award Committee of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies invites submissions for its annual award for the outstanding dissertation in film, television, and media studies. The SCMS Dissertation Award carries a cash prize of $1,000 and is presented at the annual conference. Dissertations that address any cinema, television or media topic within the disciplinary concerns and traditions of humanities-based moving image and sound studies will be considered. Criteria for judging include clarity and strength of argumentation, quality and originality of scholarship and research, organization and coherence, prose style, and contribution to the understanding of the field of film, television, or media studies.

Candidates for the 2014 award must have earned their doctoral degrees between August 1, 2012 and July 31, 2013.

Procedures

• An applicant must be a full member (not a temporary member) of the Society for the 2013-2014 membership year to apply for this award.
  
  
• A completed nomination form containing your name, e-mail address, title of the dissertation, the name of university awarding the degree, date the degree was received, and the name, e-mail address of the advisor/chair of your dissertation committee must be submitted online by August 1, 2013 (5pm CT).
  
  
• Submit, along with this form: (1) A copy of your diploma or other official document confirming the date of the award of your PhD degree; (2) A signed letter of nomination from your dissertation advisor, explaining the strengths of your dissertation and its value to the field; (3) Your dissertation abstract (250-500 words in length). In it, indicate ONE chapter you would recommend that the committee read, in addition to the introduction and conclusion, for the initial screening process. Please combine the first three into one PDF file.  (4) A separate PDF file of the entire dissertation.
  
  
• The SCMS office will verify the eligibility of the entry and membership before distributing copies to the committee members.
  
  
• The SCMS office will inform the official winner and all entrants.
  
  
• Failure to follow procedures will result in disqualification.

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