Co-Chairs: Ana Carolina Dalla Martha Rodriguez and Eunbi Sim
The AHRD Esworthy Malcolm S. Knowles Dissertation of the Year Award is given to commend an outstanding doctoral dissertation that exemplifies scholarly work and contributes to the HRD field.
- are recognized at the following year's AHRD International Research Conference in the Americas, receive a plaque, and are listed on the AHRD website.
- Award Finalists are recognized at the following year's AHRD International Research Conference in the Americas, receive a certificate, and are listed on the AHRD website
Eligibility
To be eligible for the award, candidates must have completed a doctoral dissertation in human resource development or a related field between September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2025. Candidates must have successfully defended their dissertations and received the final award of their doctoral degree by the August 31, 2025 date.
Award Criteria and Process
The AHRD Esworthy Malcolm S. Knowles Dissertation of the Year Award Committee evaluates each submission against five criteria:
- The evident theoretical and practical importance of the problem
- The appropriateness of methods used
- The extent to which the results justify the conclusions
- The contribution to new knowledge on research and practice in the HRD profession
- The quality of the writing and reporting
Based on the committee’s initial evaluation, the top finalists then submit their full dissertation for review. The committee identifies the single winner based on review of each finalist’s full dissertation using the same five evaluation criteria. These top finalists are expected to register for the AHRD International Research Conference in the Americas and attend the award ceremony.
Nomination Package
The submission should:
- A Dissertation Summary that meets the following formatting requirements:
- De-identified document, i.e., remove all personal/school information from the document.
- Have 1” margins on all sides (left, right, top, bottom); Use 12-point font; Follow formatting as defined by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (7th ed.).; Be no more than 21 pages, double spaced, including all front and end matter (e.g., references, appendices); and MS Word document only or it will not be reviewed.
- No need to include an abstract.
- A separate COVER PAGE that includes:
- Dissertation title; Author; Author’s current affiliation; Author’s current email address; Author’s current telephone number; Degree granting institution; Academic year granted; Dissertation advisor; Dissertation advisor’s current affiliation; Dissertation advisor’s current email address; Dissertation advisor’s current telephone number; and Dissertation committee members.
- A RECOMMENDATION from a dissertation committee chair
- The recommendation letter must be sent in a separate email from the committee chair to office@ahrd.org.
A dissertation summary and cover page should be attached in the application form. Submissions not following the above guidelines may not be considered.