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Rieger Award Program

Elegability & Nomination

Deadline for nominations:  November 10, 2026 

Introduction

To be considered for a Rieger Award, graduate students must be nominated by a current IVSA member and have completed a masters thesis or doctoral dissertation during the preceding two years. Nominees also must have been graduate students when they completed the thesis, dissertation, paper or project for which they have been nominated. Nominees do not have to be IVSA members, but if they are, they can self-nominate.

Rieger Thesis/Dissertation Award

To nominate a graduate student whose outstanding masters thesis or doctoral dissertation was completed during the previous two years, submit the following (in English):
  • Contact information for the nominee and the nominating IVSA member: name, position, academic department or program, institution, telephone and email address.
  • A nomination letter (1000 words max) from the nominating IVSA member, recommending the student’s work in terms of the Awards Program review criteria (see below).
  • Written confirmation from the nominee’s faculty advisor or dissertation chair verifying the date of the thesis or dissertation proposal defense.
  • For Masters Students: A copy of the complete thesis and thesis abstract.
  • For Doctoral Students: A copy of sample chapters (60 pages max) and a dissertation abstract.
  • Doctoral student nominees may be asked to submit their full dissertation at a later date.

Rieger Paper/Project Award

To nominate a graduate student whose outstanding paper or project was completed during the previous two years, submit the following (in English):
  • Contact information for the nominee and the nominating IVSA member: name, position, academic department or program, institution, telephone and email address.
  • A nomination letter (1000 words max) from the nominating IVSA member, recommending the student’s work in terms of the Awards Program review criteria (see below).
  • A digital copy of the nominated paper or project (e.g. PDF or online gallery/resource).
  • NOTE: Paper or project completion must involve submission by the student to a course, presentation at a conference or workshop, publication, or incorporation in a public exhibit.

Review Criteria

How we decide
Each nominee’s work will be evaluated by the IVSA Awards Review Committee to assess its thoughtfulness, significance and creativity in addressing issues of interest to members of the IVSA. In examining the work of Rieger Award Nominees, the Review Committee will give special consideration to work that:
  • enhances the theory and/or practice of visual sociology;
  • enriches understanding of culture and social life;
  • contributes new insights to social scientific research and practice; and/or
  • models creative and effective applications of visual imagery to social research.

Nomination Form

Please select Paper/Project or Thesis from the buttons above to view the nomination forms

 

Please select Paper/Project or Thesis from the buttons above to view the nomination forms.

Reiger Paper/Project Award

    Nomination for Reiger Paper/Project Award

    Supporting Documents

    A nomination letter (1000 words max) from the nominating IVSA member (pdf, txt, doc or docx).

    A digital copy of the nominated paper or project (pdf, txt, doc or docx).

    Alternatively provide links to the work (website, Flickr etc)

    Reiger Thesis

      Nomination for Reiger Thesis

      Supporting Documents

      A nomination letter (1000 words max) from the nominating IVSA member (pdf, txt, doc or docx).

      For Masters Students: A copy of the complete thesis and thesis abstract.

      Written confirmation from the nominee’s faculty advisor or dissertation chair.

      For Doctoral Students: A copy of sample chapters (60 pages max) and a dissertation abstract.

      Alternatively provide links to the work (website, Flickr etc)

      Item
       

        Nomination for Reiger Paper/Project Award

        Supporting Documents

        A nomination letter (1000 words max) from the nominating IVSA member (pdf, txt, doc or docx).

        A digital copy of the nominated paper or project (pdf, txt, doc or docx).

        Alternatively provide links to the work (website, Flickr etc)

          Nomination for Reiger Thesis

          Supporting Documents

          A nomination letter (1000 words max) from the nominating IVSA member (pdf, txt, doc or docx).

          For Masters Students: A copy of the complete thesis and thesis abstract.

          Written confirmation from the nominee’s faculty advisor or dissertation chair.

          For Doctoral Students: A copy of sample chapters (60 pages max) and a dissertation abstract.

          Alternatively provide links to the work (website, Flickr etc)