The Baltic University Programme (BUP) PhD Award for best thesis, supports high quality research promoting sustainable development in a Baltic Sea region context. The award is established in two research areas, one award for each area:

  • Natural Sciences, Technology and Engineering.
  • Social Sciences and Humanities.

The Baltic University Programme PhD Award is a distinction given to the author of what is judged to be the most qualified PhD thesis, defended at any of the BUP Participating Universities. The thesis will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

  • inter-/multi disciplinary approach
  • novelty (the quality of being new and unusual)
  • innovation (a new idea or method, or the use of new ideas and methods)
  • promoting sustainable development…
  • …in a Baltic Sea Region context

To qualify for the BUP PhD Award, the thesis must:

  1. have been defended during 2020,
  2. at a BUP Participating University, and
  3. the candidate must be nominated by the supervisor/-s.

The Prize

The winners will receive a prize in the form of a diploma and financial support up to 1000 euro (maximum) for either attending a scientific conference or publishing in a peer-review scientific journal. The details of the publication or conference should be agreed with the BUP and the invoice should be sent directly to the BUP Coordinating Secretariat. Please observe that expenditures paid directly by the applicant will be not reimbursed.

The nomination

The nomination needs to include the following material.

  • CV of the nominee,
  • Diploma for the PhD defence, including the title of the thesis and date of the defence,
  • Support letter from the supervisor of the thesis,
  • An electronic version of the PhD thesis (thesis written in English or any language of the BUP member countries will be accepted)
  • A 5-page summary in English of the thesis (also for theses written in English). The summary should include:
    • Brief description of the research and major findings.
    • List of references.
    • Description of the inter-/multi-disciplinary approach.
    • Description of the novelty and innovation of the research.
    • The thesis relation to sustainable development in a Baltic Sea Region context.

Selection Process

the BUP’s International Board appoints a Scientific Committee that is responsible for the selection process. The nomination opens 15 February 2021, and closes 30 April 2021. The decision will be notified via e-mail to nominated candidates, and announced at BUP web site and Newspaper.

How to nominate

Please fill in the on-line form intended for nomination of the BUP PhD Award for thesis defended 2020.

More information

For further information or questions, please e-mail Lyudmyla Babak, Project Coordinator at the BUP Coordinating Secretariat.

Participating Universities in the Baltic University Programme.