Postgraduate Conference Paper Prize Guideline
Call for nominations open: 30 June 2026
Call for nominations close: 18 August 2026
The Postgraduate Conference Paper Prize is administered by the conference hosts.
Nomination Guidelines
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The prize is awarded to the best paper submitted for refereeing prior to the conference by postgraduate students.
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An abstract can be submitted as a nomination. This must be followed by the full paper by 4 November.
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Nominations to sent to APSA National Office (info@auspsa.org.au).
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Each stream coordinator will be invited to nominate the best postgraduate paper from within their stream, informed by referee comments where possible.
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The nominee must be a current financial member of APSA in the year of nomination.
Judging Process
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The decision will be made by a judging panel chaired by a member of the conference organising committee. The panel will read and rank the nominated papers, applying the following criteria:
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Degree of originality
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use of appropriate sources;
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coherence of argument;
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sophistication of analysis; and
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Members of judging panels should adhere to the Guidance on Identifying and Managing Conflicts of Interest. If the Chair of a judging panel has a significant conflict of interest, they must relinquish their position as Chair to one of the other panellists.
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APSA reserves the right not to award the prize in any given year.
Award Details
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The winner will be invited to attend the Association’s annual conference dinner and receive the prize of $1000 and a certificate.
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This Prize is funded by the APSA.