This is an annual National award for a PhD in Soil Science granted by an Australian university.   The award has a monetary value of $500 and a certificate and is for degrees awarded (not necessarily conferred) in the previous calendar year.

 

Award Conditions

6.4. C.G. Stephens PhD Award in Soil Science

6.4.1. The Award shall be called the “C.G. Stephens PhD Award in Soil Science” and will consist of an award determined by Federal Council from time to time.

6.4.2. The Award will be made to a (financial) student or ordinary member of the Society for the best PhD thesis in soil science granted by an Australian University in the previous calendar year. While the degree may not yet be conferred, the examination process must be complete and successful. Students who join the Society only after submission of their thesis will be ineligible for this Award.

6.4.3. In a given year, only one candidate from any single Academic institution shall be considered for the Award.

6.4.4. Nominations must contain the following information:
6.4.4.1. Nominee’s Society Membership Number,
6.4.4.2. Title of PhD thesis being considered for the Award.
6.4.4.3. An electronic copy of the whole thesis.
6.4.4.4. An electronic copy of the Abstract.
6.4.4.5. Electronic copies of at least two External Examiners’ reports.

6.4.5. An Awarding Committee will be appointed by Federal Council and will consist of three financial members of the Society. Wherever possible, the Awarding Committee will consist of one university academic, one non-university research scientist, and one soil scientist from private industry.

6.4.6. If a submission comes from a university from which a member of the Awarding Committee is employed, that Committee member must stand aside and be replaced by Federal Council.

6.4.7. Nominations must be submitted electronically to the Federal Secretary (and copied to the Federal Office), who will forward them to the Chair of the Awarding Committee. Nominations shall remain confidential to the Awarding Committee.

6.4.8. The closing date for nominations will be May 31 each year.

6.4.9. If no, or insufficient suitable nomination(s) is/arereceived, the C.G. Stephens PhD Award Committee may cause a search to be made among Australian Universities to identify a suitable candidate. An Award will not be made if, in the view of the Awarding Committee, no thesis of sufficiently high quality is identified.

6.4.10. The Awarding Committee’s decision will be made before October 31 each year (or as soon afterward as practicable) and will be reported to the Federal Secretary. The decision of the Awarding Committee will be final.

6.4.11. Assessment of each thesis will be based upon the originality of the work, its significance to soil science, and its clarity of writing. The Awarding Committee may, at its discretion, seek wider opinion on the thesis.

6.4.12. Federal Council funds will be provided for the award.

6.4.13. The Award will be made at a meeting of the Society (Federal or Branch) by the Federal President of the Society, or the Branch President (or nominee) if the Federal President is unable to attend.