Outstanding Dissertation and Inventor Awards to Celebrate Distinguished Graduate Student Research

The George Washington University will recognize exceptional graduate research with its new Outstanding Dissertation Awards (ODA) and Student Inventor of the Year (SIY) award.

"GW is a community at the forefront of research, education and innovation thanks to the work of its scholars at all levels," Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs Suresh Subramaniam said. "These awards are a powerful recognition of the outstanding research being conducted by our graduate students."

The awards were modeled after similar offerings by peer institutions within the prestigious Association of American Universities, where GW has been a member since 2023.

"This is an exciting opportunity to recognize GW's outstanding graduate students across the university," said Autumn Anthony, Assistant Director of the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs (OGPA).

The Outstanding Dissertation Awards will recognize exceptional doctoral dissertation research in three categories: biological and health sciences; humanities and social sciences; and physical and mathematical sciences, and engineering. Nominations must be made by a student's faculty dissertation advisor, and the nomination package containing all required materials is due by March 1. All nominations will be reviewed by a faculty committee for each category.

To be eligible for ODAs, students should be in good standing in a research-based doctoral program, and either due to graduate in Spring 2026 or having graduated in Fall or Summer 2025.

For more information, please visit the ODA website.

Student Inventor of the Year nominations are open to students in good standing and are an inventor on at least one patent application filed by the Technology Commercialization Office. Nominations can be submitted by faculty, staff or students; details are available online at the SIY website. Nomination forms are due February 15, and the full package submitted by a faculty advisor is due March 1.

"Students contribute to many inventions with great potential to impact societal needs. I am excited to partner with the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and OGPA to recognize inventive students at GW," said Brian Coblitz, executive director of the Technology Commercialization Office.

The awards will be formally presented at InnovationFeston April 30.

These awards signal GW's continuing commitment to recognize graduate student research and are in addition to the Three Minute Thesiscompetition.