Dalmas Nelson and Garth Jones Writing Excellence Award For 2025-2026 Academic Year
Submissions being accepted now until March 20, 2025 at 5pm.
The Garth N. Jones and Dalmas H. Nelson Best Paper award is available to current, continuing students of the MPA and MPP Programs at the University of Utah. Students graduating in Spring or Summer of the current academic year are not eligible, as the funds are awarded in Fall of the following academic year.
This award recognizes the importance of clear written communication by public servants. The major criteria for judging submissions are: clarity of expression, relevance to public administration/policy, innovativeness, originality, and academic quality. Submissions may be term papers, research projects. Memoranda, or policy papers. Submissions are expected to be polished, final drafts.
The award(s) include a monetary fellowship award and recognition at the College of Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS) Fall Awards Banquet.
Important information:
- Papers can be submitted through the form provided on this page.
- Each student may submit one paper for consideration
- Students may submit a co-authored paper, so long as it is each author’s only submission
- Award amount will be divided evenly among all authors for a co-authored winning paper
- Total number of awards 1-3 (depending on available funds and quality of submissions)
- Submissions deadline is March 20, 2025
- Committee decision(s) will be made by March 31, 2025
- Letters to awardees and CSBS notification is the first week of April
Please contact the PPA Program Coordinator (melissa.warner@utah.edu) if you have any questions.