ECPR

Install the app

Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.

Just tap Share then “Add to Home Screen”

Rising Star Award

ECPR Rising Star AwardIn 2020 we launched the Rising Star Award as part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations. Nurturing and supporting the careers of students and early career researchers has been a key part of the mission of the ECPR since its creation, so this new award is particularly apt.

The Rising Star Award aims to recognise the achievements of an outstanding PhD student or early career researcher in their scholarly life so far and provide them with the opportunity to develop their network and skills even further with ECPR support.

The award will be presented annually to an individual considered to have a particularly promising future in the field of politics and international relations. The winner, who must work or study at an ECPR member institution, will enjoy a year’s free access to a selection of our events.


The nominations for the 2025 Rising Star Award are now closed.

Nominations open 9 June 2025.
Nominations close 26 September 2025.

Submitting a nomination

To nominate, please submit the required documents via the Prize Portal.

Each institution may only nominate a single candidate, though nominations may come from any person. We hope this will encourage discussion within each institution, but should more than one nomination be received we will contact nominators and our OR to ask that a single candidate be decided upon.

Nominations must include:

  • The nominee’s CV 
  • A formal nomination letter

Eligibility

An ECPR Rising Star is:

  • A current PhD student, or within five years of completing their PhD
    • If the candidate has, during this time, experienced a delay to their academic career due to parental leave, caring responsibilities, or health issues, the nominator may request an additional year of eligibility
  • Working or studying at an ECPR Full or Associate Member institution
  • Academically involved
    • Please include details of current or previous research projects they have participated in, as well as contributions to journals, books, and/or blogs, or demonstrable commitment to teaching
  • Socially engaged
    • A good networker whose contribution to the profession reaches beyond the academy, to provide benefit to the community and wider society
    • Please include details of their involvement in the academic community, within their institution, country and community; examples of public engagement, teaching and general involvement with other associations/events/institutions; and engagement with ECPR events, activities and publications

ECPR will review each application on its own merits and the arguments of the nominator.

Prize Jury

The jury is comprised of a member of our Executive Committee as Chair, plus four Official Representatives from Member institutions.

The jury for the 2025 prize:

  • Gianfranco Baldini University of Bologna (Chair)
  • Amelia Hadfield University of Surrey
  • Meta Novak Ljubljana University
  • Natascha Verena Christine Zaun Leuphana Universität Lüneburg 
  • Michel Perottino Charles University

Questions? Email prizes@ecpr.eu

2024 - Luis L. Schenoni

Luis L. Schenoni

PhD, University of Notre Dame, 2020


2023 - Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

PhD, King’s College London, 2020


2022 - Hans Asenbaum

Hans Asenbaum

PhD, University of Westminster, 2019


2021 - Julia Schulte-Cloos

Julia Schulte-Cloos

PhD, European University Institute, 2019


2020 - Veronica Anghel

Veronica Anghel

PhD, University of Bucharest, 2018