ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award
The ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award honors the best doctoral research in computer science and engineering worldwide, recognizing exceptional technical depth, significance, and impact.
Funder: University of British Columbia - Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Due Dates: September 25, 2025 (UBC Mechanical Eng. internal nomination) | October 3, 2025 (UBC program nomination) | October 31, 2025 (ACM institutional submission) | October 31, 2026 (ACM nomination deadline) | November 30, 2026 (ACM deadline for translations)
Funding Amounts: Up to $20,000 (winner) plus travel; $10,000 (shared among honorable mentions); one-time award.
Summary: Recognizes the best doctoral dissertation in computer science and engineering worldwide, with a major monetary prize and ACM publication.
Key Information: Only two UBC nominees per year; dissertation must be defended/submitted between Oct 1, 2024–Sep 30, 2025.
Description
The ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award is an internationally prestigious annual prize recognizing outstanding doctoral research and writing in computer science and engineering. The award honors technical depth, significance, and impact on theory and practice, as well as excellence in presentation. The winner receives a $20,000 prize, travel expenses to the ACM Awards Banquet, and publication of the dissertation in the ACM Books Series and Digital Library. Honorable mentions may also be recognized, sharing a $10,000 prize. UBC can nominate up to two dissertations per cycle for international competition.
