Applications are now open for the FLAD Political Science Award, which rewards two master’s theses 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 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from 11 to 14 September 2025.

The new edition of the FLAD Political Science Award will distinguish two students who have 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 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from 11 to 14 September 2025. The objective is to reward two master’s theses that stand out for their 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 greatest political scientists in the world 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 or English);
  • Motivation letter (in Portuguese or English);
  • 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, 2025 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, 2025.

Award

The prize to be awarded to the authors of the winning dissertations consists of:

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:

  • Nuno Morais Sarmento, 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 portal for submission of applications will be open between January 14 and March 3. The information provided does not exempt you from consulting the NOTICE of this contest – available at this link. For further clarification, please contactr elacoes.transatlanticas@flad.pt.

In 2024, the FLAD Political Science Award distinguished Rita Marcelino dos Santos with the thesis “«Solidarisch mit CDS in Portugal»: the international performance of CDU and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Portuguese democratization (1974-1976)” and Marta Ramilo Abrantes with the dissertation “Science Diplomacy, Portugal and the European Project”.