Gill-Chin Lim Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Global Studies

The Gill-Chin Lim Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Global Studies recognizes one graduate student each year for their outstanding MSU doctoral dissertation focusing on global studies, completed the preceding year. The award is funded through an endowment and carries a cash stipend. Although a GPA above 3.5 is preferred, more weight will be given to the intellectual contribution of the dissertation and the innovative methodology used to carry out the research.

Eligibility Requirements

Nominees must:

• be a Michigan State University graduate who earned a doctoral degree in any discipline during the preceding year;
• have completed a dissertation with a substantial international dimension; the focus of the research should be a region/country outside of the United States.

Submit a Nomination
 

Nominations for the 2026 International Awards program are currently open. Self-nominations are not accepted. Nominations will close on January 16, 2026, and awards will be announced in spring 2026.

To submit a nomination, complete the online nomination form (opens in new window) and include:

• a letter of nomination, no longer than two pages, which includes evidence of the dissertation's contribution to global studies;
• a copy of the dissertation, to be returned (if written in a language other than English, include an English translation of the abstract and research hypothesis).

Nominations are invited from MSU faculty, as well as from deans, directors, chairpersons, and academic advisors.

This award is named for the late Dr. Gill-Chin Lim, MSU Professor of Geography and Urban Planning and former dean of International Studies and Programs.