Applications are now open for the FLAD Political Science Award, which rewards the student with the best master’s thesis in the areas of Political Science and International Relations with participation in the next annual congress of the American Political Science Association (APSA), which will take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 5 to 8 September 2024.

In 2023, the FLAD Political Science Award awarded Bruno Rocha, PhD student at NOVA FCSH, for the excellence demonstrated in his master’s thesis: “A Nation in a World of Status: The Echoes of the Representations of the ‘German Nation’ in International Status-Seeking Practices” Bruno Rocha traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to participate in the international congress of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), at the invitation of FLAD.

In the second edition, FLAD will award the best dissertation of a student who has Portuguese nationality or who has completed a master’s degree at a Portuguese university in the field of Political Science and International Relations – and whose dissertation reveals potential for academic research in their area of study – with the offer of registration, travel and accommodation at the next annual meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA). taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from September 5 to 8, 2024.

The aim is to award a master’s thesis that stands out for its scientific quality in the area of Political Science and International Relations, and to give young researchers from Portuguese universities the opportunity to contact some of the world’s greatest political scientists and to debate themes and concepts of Political Science in an international environment.

Applications are open until March 3rd.

Who can apply?

  • Students of Portuguese nationality or master’s degree completed at a Portuguese university;
  • Have obtained a master’s degree in the areas of Political Science and/or International Relations no more than three years before the closing date of applications.

In the first phase, the following documents should be submitted:

  • Summary of the master’s thesis, with a maximum of 850 words (in Portuguese or English);
  • CV (in Portuguese);
  • Letter of motivation (in Portuguese);
  • A letter of recommendation;
  • Certificate of qualifications or Master’s degree.

Second Phase:

Candidates selected for the second phase of the competition will be notified of the jury’s decision by April 1, 2024 and will be invited to submit their master’s thesis, previously defended, for consideration by the jury. The dissertation submitted must be written in Portuguese or English.

Dissertations must be submitted by April 4, 2024.

Award

The prize to be awarded to the author of the winning dissertation consists of:

  • Payment for round-trip travel and stay in Philadelphia for 2024 APSA Annual Meeting;
  • Offer of the congress registration fee;
  • Offer of three years of APSA membership dues.

Evaluation process and selection criteria:

Applications will be evaluated by the jury, taking into account the potential of the candidate and the dissertation for the development of high quality scientific research.

Jury

Applications will be evaluated by a jury with the following composition:

  • Rita Faden, President of FLAD;
  • Madalena Meyer Resende, Professor, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa;
  • Miguel Monjardino, Visiting Professor, Instituto de Estudos Políticos da Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

How to apply:

Applications must be submitted through the online form available at this link: https://flad.secure.force.com/CandidaturaMain?language=pt_PT . The application submission portal will be open between 15 January and 3 March.

The information provided does not exempt you from consulting the PUBLIC NOTICE of this call – available at this link.

For further clarification, please contact Leonor Barroso – leonor.barroso@flad.pt