ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Department of Commerce

University of Kerala

Kariyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram

 

GUIDELINES FOR SELECTION OF

MS RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD

Instituted by Professor (Dr.) M. Sarngadharan, Former Professor, Head and Dean, Department of Commerce, University of Kerala

 

 

Cash Prize: ₹10,000

 

The MS Research Excellence Award is instituted by Professor (Dr.) M. Sarngadharan, Former Professor, Head and Dean, Department of Commerce, University of Kerala, and is administered by the Alumni Association, Department of Commerce, University of Kerala, to recognise and celebrate exemplary doctoral research contributions by scholars of the Department. The Award will be presented annually during the Alumni Meet and Merit Day. For the inaugural edition, the Award is open to all research scholars who have been awarded the Ph.D. degree by the University of Kerala from the Department of Commerce in each calendar year. In the initial year of Launch nominations will be received from researchers awarded PhD up to December 2025

The Award carries a cash prize of ₹10,000 (Rupees Ten Thousand Only) along with a citation and trophy to be presented at the Alumni Meet and Merit Day hosted by the Department each year.

 Eligibility Criteria

A thesis shall be eligible for consideration under this Award subject to fulfilment of the following conditions:

·       The Ph.D. degree must have been formally awarded by the University of Kerala on or before 31 December 2025.

·       The thesis must have been submitted from the Department of Commerce, School of Business Management and Legal Studies, University of Kerala.

·       The candidate must have completed the doctoral programme as a full-time or part-time research scholar registered with the Department.

·       There is no restriction on the year of initial registration; eligibility is determined solely by the date of award of the degree.

·       A candidate who has previously received this Award shall not be eligible for subsequent consideration.

 Nomination and Application Process

Eligible candidates shall be nominated for the Award through either of the following routes:

·       Self-nomination by the doctoral candidate[BT1] 

·       Nomination by research Supervisor/Alumni Member (may also be added)

The following documents shall be submitted as part of the nomination package:

·       Completed nomination form as prescribed by the Award Committee.

·       A copy of the Ph.D. degree certificate issued by the University.

·       Electronic copy (PDF) of the complete doctoral thesis.

·       A structured abstract of the thesis (not exceeding 1,000 words) addressing the research problem, methodology, key findings, and policy or practical implications.

·       List of publications, conference presentations, and any citations or awards received in connection with the thesis research.

·       A No Objection Certificate from the Research Supervisor confirming that the thesis is original work.

The last date for receipt of nominations shall be notified separately by the Award Committee.

 Selection Committee

The Award shall be adjudicated by a Selection Committee constituted by the Head of the Department of Commerce. The Committee shall comprise:

·       A Chairperson, who shall be a Former Dean or former professor of the Department.

·       Two external subject experts of national standing in Commerce or Management, to be nominated by the Head of Department and endorsed by the Department Council.

·       The Head of the Department or a person nominated by the Head.

 

No member of the Selection Committee shall evaluate a thesis in which they served as Research Supervisor, Co-Supervisor, or Doctoral Committee Member[BT2] . In such cases, an alternate member shall be nominated.

 Evaluation Framework and Scoring Criteria

Each eligible thesis shall be evaluated against the following six criteria, for a total of 100 marks. Detailed descriptors for each criterion are provided in the table below.

 

Evaluation Criterion	Maximum Score	Descriptors for Assessment
1. Quality of Research Design and Methodology	20	Appropriateness of research design; rigour of data collection; validity and reliability of instruments; clarity of analytical framework.
2. Quality of Analysis	20	Depth and accuracy of analytical techniques employed; soundness of interpretation; logical coherence of findings; use of advanced quantitative/qualitative methods where appropriate.
3. Novelty and Originality of the Research Area	20	Uniqueness of the topic; identification of significant gaps in existing literature; contribution of new knowledge, concepts, or theoretical frameworks.
4. Policy Relevance and Practical Implications- Emerging from the findings	20	Clarity and specificity of policy recommendations; applicability to government, regulatory, or institutional contexts; evidence-based reasoning behind suggestions.
5. Scholarly Output and Dissemination	10	Publications in peer-reviewed journals (ABDC/SCOPUS/WoS listed preferred); presentations at national/international conferences; citations or recognition of the work.
6. Quality of Thesis Writing and Presentation	10	Clarity and precision of language; logical organisation of chapters; adherence to referencing norms; quality of tables, figures, and appendices.
Total	100

 Scoring and Award Decision

Each member of the Selection Committee shall independently evaluate and score all nominated theses against the six criteria.  Theses would be shortlisted when they attain a minimum score of 60 out of 100 awarded by all members of the selection committee. Final selection would be among the shortlisted theses. The final score for each thesis shall be the arithmetic mean of the scores awarded by all committee members.

The thesis securing the highest aggregate score (out of 100) shall be recommended for the MS Research Excellence Award. In the event of a tie, the Selection Committee shall deliberate and decide on the basis of the criterion-wise scores, giving precedence to Criteria 1, 2, and 3 in that order.

The Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the Award in any given year if, in its considered opinion, no nomination meets the minimum threshold of 60 marks in aggregate.

The decision of the Selection Committee shall be final and binding. No correspondence shall be entertained after the announcement of the result.

Confidentiality and Integrity

All nominated theses and evaluation proceedings shall be treated as strictly confidential. Members of the Selection Committee shall not discuss individual nominations outside the Committee deliberations. Any member with a conflict of interest shall declare the same and recuse themselves from evaluation of the relevant nomination.

 Announcement and Presentation

The Award will be announced and the prize presented during the Alumni Meet and Merit Day hosted by the Department each year. The awardee will be presented with a cash prize of ₹10,000, a citation, and a trophy.

These guidelines are issued under the authority of the Head, Department of Commerce, and Department Council and approved by the Alumni Association. The Award Committee reserves the right to revise these guidelines for future editions.

 

LAST DATE FOR NOMINATIONS:  04/07/2026 till 05.00 PM

For More Details Contact: Dr.Balu B, Secretary, Alumni Association, 9895542936