Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award

Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award

Nominations are due October 15, 2026.

AEJMC’s Standing Committee on Research seeks nominations for its Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award.

The award recognizes excellence in Ph.D. dissertation research that demonstrates potentially significant impact and importance in the field of journalism and communication research and includes a monetary prize.

Dissertations are eligible if successfully defended between Sept. 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026. The committee reserves the right not to grant the award in any given year. Applicants submitting dissertation chapters with multiple authors are asked to (1) clearly detail at the beginning of the chapter if it is multi-authored and (2) clarify their contributions to that chapter.

All methodological approaches, theoretical and conceptual frameworks and topical areas related to journalism and communication are welcome. Nominations of qualified candidates from all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and identities are encouraged.

How to nominate:

  1. Nominations must be made by the dissertation advisor/director or by a senior administrator (dean, director or chair) of the doctoral-degree granting unit. Students may NOT nominate their own dissertation.
  2. The nomination package includes four items:
    1. the nominator’s cover letter
    2. an eight- to ten-page abstract summarizing the dissertation. This abstract should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins, use 12-pt Times New Roman font, and must not contain any appendices or references
    3. a PDF of the dissertation
    4. the nominee’s C.V.
  3. The nomination package must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, Oct. 15. All four items must be delivered electronically by the deadline to qualify for consideration:
    1. The full dissertation must be submitted in ONE single PDF file.
    2. A separate file comprising an extended (anonymized) eight- to ten-page abstract summarizing the dissertation must be submitted as ONE file (PDF or DOC). The abstract should be organized as follows, with subheadings: [1] Introduction and statement of purpose; [2] Theoretical framework and key elements of previous research; [3] Method; [4] Findings; [5] Conclusion and discussion; [6] Statement of importance to the field. Nominees may wish to refer to the judging criteria when writing their abstracts. The criteria can be found on the AEJMC's website.
    3. The nomination letter must include the nominee’s name, dissertation title, and the university affiliation.
  4. Acknowledgments and other information that might identify the author, advisor, or university must be removed from the dissertation PDF and abstract. This includes any references to the university where the dissertation was written that may appear in the text. Submissions containing identifying information in these files may be disqualified.
  5. “NWS Dissertation Award [insert nominee’s last name]” must be used as the email subject line for any and all correspondence in relation to the award.
  6. Submissions will be acknowledged by email.
  7. Non-electronic methods of submission (fax, standard mail, courier) will not be accepted.
  8. Send nominations and questions to NWS Dissertation Award Chair at Research@aejmc.org

The award is named for Ralph O. Nafziger and David Manning White, authors of Introduction to Mass Communication Research, and Michael Salwen, co-author of An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research.

- YOU MUST BE AN AEJMC MEMBER TO APPLY TO THIS AWARD - 

Send your application materials to NWS Dissertation Award Chair at Research@aejmc.org