ACM India Doctoral Dissertation Award

About

Established in 2011, the ACM India Doctoral Dissertation Award recognizes the top doctoral dissertation(s) in Computer Science and Engineering from institutions across India each academic year.

Entitlements

• The award carries a prize of ₹2,00,000 for the winner, while an honorable mention, if awarded, comes with a prize of ₹1,00,000.
• Winning dissertations will be featured in the ACM Digital Library.

Application Details

Last date for submission of application (including all upload documents): 18 August 2025

No emails for extension of deadline will be entertained.
Winners of the award will be informed via email directly by the ACM team.

Required Documents before you fill in the above linked form:

• Nomination letter by thesis advisor. Download the template here.
• An endorsement letter by the department head or a suitable substitute (in case of a conflict of interest).
• At least 3, and not more than 5, supporting letters from experts in the field who can provide additional insights or evidence of the dissertation’s impact. The nominator/advisor may not write a letter of support. Each letter should include the name, address, and telephone number of the supporter.
• One copy of the thesis in English in PDF format.
• A copy of the thesis review comments given by the external examiners.
• A list of publications in conferences and journals based on the work reported in the dissertation, along with their citations (if any). The nomination should also include all the reviews received during the publication process.

Eligibility Guidelines:

• PhD candidates who are currently enrolled in IISc. De-registered students are not allowed to apply.
• The nominated candidate’s dissertation must have been successfully defended between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
• Students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas of Computer Science and Engineering.
• Queries on the application process should be sent by email to development.odaa@iisc.ac.in.