Spring 2026 Guidelines & Nomination Cover Sheet

The Council of Graduate Schools Definitions for Dissertation Award Categories

Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering: mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, data processing, systems analysis, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, geology, meteorology, astronomy, metallurgy, geophysics, pharmaceutical chemistry; aeronautical, architectural, biomedical, ceramic, chemical, civil, and electrical engineering sciences; environmental health engineering; geological, mechanical, mining, nuclear, and petroleum engineering. (For purposes of this competition, engineering technologies are not included.). 

Social Sciences: agricultural economics, geography, anthropology, archaeology, economics, education, sociology, government (political science), demography, and psychology. (For purposes of this competition, history is considered with the humanities.) 

Humanities and Fine Arts: history; philosophy; language; linguistics; literature; archaeology; jurisprudence; the history, theory and criticism of the arts; ethics; comparative religion; and those aspects of the social sciences that employ historical or philosophical approaches. 

Biological and Life Sciences: biology; botany; zoology; ecology; embryology; entomology; genetics; nutrition; plant pathology; plant physiology; anatomy; biochemistry; biophysics; microbiology; pathology; pharmacology; physiology; and related fields. Also included are agriculture, forestry, zoology; and related fields.

*These lists are not all-inclusive.

To be eligible for this competition, a dissertation must have been defended in the calendar year 2026. Eligible candidates will have graduated in May 2026, August 2026, or December 2026. Also, students who defended in 2026, but will graduate in May 2027 are eligible.

Students, please contact your department for more information about the nomination process.

Departments and programs, if seeking to make a nomination, please consult with their college/school about their internal nomination process and deadlines. 
Colleges, please adhere to nomination allotments outlined above.

Upon making the nominations, the college will choose the disciplinary category deemed to be the most appropriate for each nominated dissertation.

Colleges must submit nominations to the Graduate School Awards Portal at terpengage.umd.edu/gsawards/s/. The Awards Portal will ask for 5 separate PDF documents (as referenced below)

1.   Nominee Cover Sheet 

2.  A letter of recommendation from the dissertation supervisor. This letter should evaluate the significance and quality of the dissertation.

3.  A letter of nomination from the College. The college nomination letter should include substantive contributions to the package and not simply cover or summarize the dissertation supervisor’s letter.

4.  A 5-page, double-spaced abstract of the dissertation, written by the candidate for this competition. This is in addition to the abstract that is included in the dissertation.

• The abstract should be written by the nominee, and it should be written for a non-specialist audience.
• Each page of the abstract should be numbered and bear the name of the nominee.
• Appendices containing non-textual material, such as charts or tables, may be included in addition to the 5 pages

5.  The nominee’s brief C.V. (4 page maximum)

The dissertations nominated for the Charles A. Caramello Distinguished Dissertation Award will be evaluated, and award recipients selected, by a multi-disciplinary, campus-level Selection Committee. A Distinguished University Professor will chair the Selection Committee.

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of some dissertations, the selection committee may move a dissertation from one of the four disciplinary areas to another.

The Committee expects the 5-page abstract to be written for a non-specialist audience.

Please direct any questions to Robyn Kotzker, Program Director for the Office of Funding Opportunities (rkotzker@umd.edu, 301.405.0281.)