Jeffrey Jensen Arnett Dissertation Award
Call for Nominations
Nominations are open for SSEA’s 2027 Jeffrey Jensen Arnett Dissertation Award. This award, named in honor of Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, the founder and first President of SSEA, is awarded every other year in recognition of an outstanding doctoral dissertation or thesis that contributes to advancing the field of emerging adulthood. Dissertations are eligible for nomination if they were defended in 2024, 2025, or 2026. Supervisor and self-nominations are welcome.
Submission deadline: September 15, 2026.
The following materials should be submitted for the nomination:
· A cover sheet that includes the nominee’s name, dissertation/thesis title, institutional affiliation of nominee, conferral date of doctoral degree, email, phone, and current address.
· Supervisor(s) name(s), institution(s), and country.
· Nomination letter (500-word limit) outlining the dissertation’s merits, with reference to the quality of the dissertation (e.g., importance of the research for advancing the field, quality of the research methods, innovativeness of the work) and contribution to the field of emerging adulthood.
· Dissertation/Thesis summary (1,000-word limit) including rationale and research questions, methods and results, theoretical/conceptual contribution, practical implications.
· Full dissertation/thesis
All nominations will be reviewed by the JJA Dissertation Award Committee. The nominations will be evaluated based on research excellence (innovation in research approach and design, contributions of the findings to the current literature) and the significance and potential impact of the work on the field of emerging adulthood. Please send all nomination materials to Dr. Arnett, arnett@jeffreyarnett.com. The winner will be announced in January 2027 and receive $500 and a 1 year SSEA membership. They will also be offered free registration for the SSEA Conference in July 2027 in Montreal, where they will have the opportunity to receive their award in person and provide a brief presentation on their work. Questions about the nomination process should be directed to Dr. Arnett.
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