We are pleased to announce the second call for the Prize for Doctoral Scholarship and Research in Statistics Education, which recognises outstanding contributions to statistics education arising from doctoral scholarship and research. The prize aims to recognise and encourage outstanding early-career scholarship that advances, or has the potential to advance, statistics education.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be currently undertaking a doctorate (PhD, EdD, or professional doctorate) at a UK university, or have completed one within two years of the application deadline (including all required corrections).
- Be engaged in work that contributes to statistics education through research, educational innovation, curriculum development, methodological advances, resource development, outreach, or related scholarly activities.
We welcome applications from current doctoral candidates and recent doctoral graduates from any disciplinary area whose work makes a significant contribution to statistics education. This includes, but is not limited to, statistics education, mathematics education, statistics, data science, health professions education, psychology, social sciences, and related fields.
Recognising the multidisciplinary nature of statistics education, the Section encourages applications reflecting a diversity of disciplinary perspectives. Applicants should include evidence of the significance and impact of their contribution as part of the application, as described in the How to Apply section below.
RSS membership is not required.
Judging Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on:
- Significance and quality of the contribution to statistics education, including its originality, scholarly merit, and potential to advance knowledge, practice, or understanding in the field.
- Evidence of impact or potential impact on learners, educators, institutions, curriculum, policy, or professional practice.
- Innovation and creativity in addressing challenges in statistics education or in developing new approaches, methods, resources, or frameworks.
- Dissemination and influence of the work, where appropriate, including publications, presentations, educational resources, software, curriculum materials, professional engagement, or other outputs arising from the work.
- Engagement with relevant literature, theory, evidence, or pedagogical frameworks.
The Committee recognises that doctoral work may produce a range of outputs, including research publications, conference presentations, educational resources, software, curriculum materials, policy contributions, and other forms of scholarly dissemination.
Applications will be reviewed by at least two reviewers, with oversight by the RSS Teaching Statistics Section Committee.
How to Apply
Each application should include the following:
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A statement (maximum 2 pages) written by the candidate describing:
- the contribution arising from their doctoral work;
- its significance for statistics education;
- any evidence of impact or influence;
- relevant outputs or dissemination activities.
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A supporting letter (maximum 2 pages) from a referee familiar with the work (e.g. supervisor, mentor, collaborator, or external examiner), commenting on the significance and contribution of the work. Supporting letters may either be submitted by the applicant or sent directly by the referee to the Section's email address by the application deadline.
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Confirmation of the date of the applicant's viva (if applicable) and final approval (if completed).
A full CV is not required and will not be considered. Applicants may include, within their statement, brief details of relevant outputs arising from their doctoral work (e.g. publications, conference presentations, educational resources, software, curriculum materials, or other dissemination activities).
Previous applicants are welcome to reapply, provided they continue to meet the eligibility criteria. Previous winners are not eligible to receive the prize more than once.
Submit via email to the Section's email address (teachingstats@rss.org.uk) by 15 January 2027, 23:59 GMT, with the subject line:
Prize for Doctoral Scholarship and Research in Statistics Education
Selection and Announcement
The winner will be selected by the Teaching Statistics Section committee. The winner will be notified via email and announced on the RSS website by March 2027.
Prize and Presentation
- One First Prize winner will receive a certificate and be invited to present their work at a future workshop of the RSS Teaching Statistics Section or at the upcoming UK Conference on Teaching Statistics (UKCOTS) 2027.
- Up to two additional prizes may be awarded (e.g. Highly Commended) to recognise other outstanding submissions. These recipients will also be invited to present at the same event.
- The panel may decide not to award any prize if submissions do not meet the required standard.
Questions about the competition may be directed to the Section's email address (teachingstats@rss.org.uk).