Ranald Macdonald Postgraduate Research Award- Call for nominations

The Mathematical, Statistical and Computing Psychology Section is pleased to invite considerations for the
Ranald Macdonald Postgraduate Research Award.
Deadline for applications 15th October 2010

This will be awarded to the best Postgraduate thesis (MSc, MRes, MPhil, Professional Doctorate, DPhil or PhD) using mathematics or statistics in a novel way to investigate an aspect of Psychology (submitted and passed within 1st August 2009-31st July 2010 inclusive).

The prize consists of £150.00 and expenses up to £200 to attend the section's annual conference this year at Nottingham Trent University. As a condition of accepting the prize, the winner will be expected to present an aspect of their winning work at this years Annual conference (dates below).

Further details on eligibility and the simple application process can be found below or by contacting the Section Secretary Gillian Smith gillian.smith@ntu.ac.uk
Please note the deadline for submissions will be 15th October 2010 at 5pm.



How to apply:
Please send the following to the section secretary Gillian Smith via email to gillian.smith@ntu.ac.uk

1. Your full contact details including Name, Institution, Degree Title and Date Qualification was awarded, Address, Email, Telephone number and the Name (s) of Supervisors

2. The extended abstract from your thesis, which outlines the findings of your work

3. A supporting statement from one of your supervisory team outlining the importance and contribution of your thesis and suitability for the award (no more than 300 words)

Procedure: Your application will be considered by a panel of Mathematical, Statistical and Computing Section Committee members, and the panel’s decision will be final. One or more submissions will be short-listed and their authors may be invited to submit the complete thesis to the panel for final consideration via PDF. The panel reserves the right not to short-list any candidates if the panel does not deem the quality of submissions to be sufficiently high. From time to time the panel may also seek the views of expert reviewers on the quality of a submission prior to short-listing or to making an award. The panel may, in exceptional circumstances, make a split award between two equally deserving candidates.

Criteria for making the award: Emphasis will be placed on the following criteria:

- use of novel mathematics or statistics

- reference to substantive issues in psychology or related disciplines

- clarity of exposition of the mathematical or statistical concepts

- potential or actual contribution to the field, via peer-reviewed publication