CARD Award for Best Ph.D. Dissertation in Agricultural, Environmental, and Energy Economics and Policy

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The purpose of this award is to recognize an outstanding Ph.D. dissertation written by a graduate student in the department of economics with a topic related to one of the focus areas of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State. All graduate students in the economics department are eligible, regardless of whether they have had any formal relationship with the Center during their graduate studies.

The winner will be chosen by a subcommittee of CARD faculty (each year’s committee will be constituted to avoid conflicts of interest as much as possible), and the award carries a cash prize of $500. A plaque in the CARD suite will be engraved with the student’s name and the student’s work will be highlighted on the CARD website. While not required, winning students will be invited to work with CARD communications staff to produce an outreach publication from their dissertation that will be highlighted in the CARD Agricultural Policy Review or produced as a CARD Policy Brief. The competition will be held in the spring to choose the winner from the previous calendar year.

To be eligible, the final oral exam needs to have taken place in the 2021 calendar year. To apply, advisees or advisors can submit a concise essay (750 words maximum) describing the research with a focus on how it relates to one of CARD’s focus areas. This essay will provide the primary basis for the selection of the award. In addition, please submit a copy of or link to the dissertation.

Please send applications by March 22, 2022 to Karen Kovarik and John Crespi for consideration.


Previous Winners: