UF Water Institute

The Water Institute Dissertation Awards recognize outstanding Ph.D. dissertations addressing water-related issues and connect recipients to the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR). One award is given in each of the following categories:

1. Water Policy and Socioeconomics
2. Natural Science and Engineering

UCOWR is a consortium of academic institutions and affiliates dedicated to advancing water resources research, education, and outreach, and to build a collaborative community across all water disciplines.

– Award Details –

Recipients of the award will receive $1,000*, be recognized at the annual Water Institute Awards Ceremony, and be nominated for the UCOWR Ph.D. Dissertation Award by University of Florida UCOWR delegate, Dr. Matt Cohen.

If selected for the UCOWR Award, recipients will also receive supplementary travel support from the Water Institute to attend the UCOWR Conference and accept the award.

*Please note that this award is considered income subject to payroll taxation. Your department will notify Payroll Services, and the corresponding taxes for the value of the award will be deducted on a subsequent paycheck.

– Eligibility Criteria –

To be eligible for the Water Institute Dissertation Award, Ph.D. students must:

• Be nominated by a faculty advisor who is a Water Institute Affiliate Faculty member
• Have completed their dissertations within the timeframe set by UCOWR Ph.D. Dissertation Award for the current year

– Nomination Process and Application Materials –

For the award, both student and faculty advisor must complete a nomination form by the award’s due date.

• Students must complete the Student Nomination Form and provide a copy of their Ph.D. dissertation.
  • In cases where journal articles or other documents were accepted in lieu of a dissertation, digital copies of those documents that constituted the dissertation requirements must be submitted.
• Faculty advisors must complete the Advisor Nomination Form. In case your student is selected as an awardee, we will request a Letter of Endorsement addressed to UCOWR Ph.D. Dissertation Award Selection Committee.
  • The Letter of Endorsement must include the Ph.D. advisor’s mailing address, email address, and phone number.

– Selection Criteria –

• Quality and clarity of writing
• Originality and innovation
• Scientific merit, technical quality; soundness of research
• Understanding of previous related research
• Contribution to and impact on water resources research

Deadlines

Applications open in the summer semester and close on the following date: