Pontecorvo Prize for best PhD thesis

The competition is open to any Cancer Research UK funded graduate students, clinical research training fellows and scientific officers who submitted a doctoral thesis and/or who were awarded their degree of Doctor of Philosophy during the 2018 or 2019 calendar year. 

The judges will award the prize to the student who has produced the best PhD thesis and made the most outstanding contribution to scientific knowledge in his/her field of research leading to publication(s) in major peer reviewed journals. The student should also have given evidence of a strong original contribution to the direction of the research.

Cancer Research UK is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.  We’re seeking nominations from a diverse range of backgrounds for this Prize.

Nominations should come from the student’s academic supervisor. The following materials must be submitted in a nomination:

1. A letter from the supervisor putting the scientific contribution made by the student's thesis into the context of the research programme of the lab and of the field of research as a whole. It should also make clear the student's intellectual and technical contribution to the work described in the thesis and include comments on the following:

• the level of independence shown by the candidate
• the candidate’s input into the development of the project
• the candidate’s initiative and/or creativity
• the candidate’s intellectual ability and/or experimental expertise
• comparison with the student’s peers, the supervisor's past and present students, others known to the supervisor (e.g. in the top 1, 2, 5%, best ever etc); i.e. is he/she truly outstanding and, if so, why?

2. The candidate’s CV (short), including education and research experience and a list of publications, with publications arising from their thesis research highlighted.

3. The names of two senior scientific staff from whom informed opinions, addressing the above criteria, may be sought.

4. Confirmation of the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

5. The thesis abstract.

6. The examiners’ reports from the student's PhD viva.

7. A copy of the thesis will be requested prior to the meeting of the judging panel.

Nominations must be submitted electronically to prizes@cancer.org.uk