Dear Colleagues,
As we remember Dr. Orneita in our hearts and feel gratitude for the many years she chaired the MSR Promising Dissertation Awards Committee, we wish to honor her work and others such as Lee Robbins and J.-Robert Ouimet who helped make the award a reality. With Orneita's passing, I volunteered to step back into the role of Dissertation Awards Chair and am finalizing the anonymous committee members who will serve as judges.
We are delighted to announce the 2026 Call for Proposals and ask you to please share this Call with anyone who might be interested.
2026 MSR Promising Dissertation Proposal Awards
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 15, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT
The Management, Spirituality and Religion (MSR) Division of the Academy of Management is pleased to announce the 2026 MSR Promising Dissertation Proposal Awards. These awards are made available annually to doctoral candidates approaching completion of comprehensive exams, beginning the formulation of their dissertation topics, and/or currently performing dissertation-related research. This award is not for completed dissertations.
This year, we are pleased to continue a tradition of awarding stipends to the top three finalists for the purpose of offsetting dissertation research.
The purpose of these awards is to honor and assist doctoral candidates working in the domain of Management, Spirituality, and Religion (MSR) to develop quality dissertations that can: (1) integrate management with spirituality and/or religion, and (2) reflect novel and/or significant evidence-based theoretical and/or applied contributions to the field. As an emerging discipline of scholarship within the Academy of Management, MSR seeks to encourage quality doctoral dissertations as a springboard to ongoing contributory research and inquiry.
Submissions should generally align with the MSR domain statement: "MSR explores how spirituality and religion can influence organizational dynamics and affect management outcomes. In that regard, MSR is devoted to defining the relevance and impact of spirituality and religion in management, organizations and society. Major areas of study include theory building and empirical research around the issues of faith, spirituality and religion as they influence principles and practices in management. Important contributions have been made in MSR research to better understand the meaning of work, the impact of spirituality and spiritual leadership in the workplace, the purpose of business, the effects of religious pluralism in the workplace, and the distinctive elements of individual religious and spiritual beliefs that cultivate inner awareness and promote wisdom for the common good."
Please include a digital photo of yourself with your application. Submission of material for this award shall be deemed as an acknowledgement by applicants that they authorize the MSR Division to publish photos, biographical information, and/or portions of submitted material for press releases or other purposes that the organization may deem appropriate.
Expectations of Finalists
1. Attend the virtual MSR two-day Research Consortium June 11-12, 2026. Be prepared to present and discuss progress to date on your research proposal as well as receive feedback during the Consortium.
2. Attend the dissertation awards presentation virtually or in person during the MSR business meeting tentatively scheduled for Sunday during the conference. Meeting schedules will be finalized before the conference date.
3. Submit a scholarly paper to MSR through the Academy of Management review process when the thesis is completed. This would normally occur within one or two years after receiving the award.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
Dissertation proposals must be submitted by May 15, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT to be considered for an award. Finalists will be notified approximately three weeks following submission.
Submission Requirements
Please email a summary of your dissertation proposal to the MSR Promising Dissertation Proposal Committee Chair by the May 15, 2026, due date. NO MORE THAN FOUR (4) DOUBLE-SPACED PAGES MAY BE SUBMITTED, INCLUDING REFERENCES AND/OR FIGURES, providing an overview ('executive summary') of the proposed research, setting forth the topic of interest or study, its relevance to MSR, links to interesting theoretical concerns, preliminary or current methodological approaches, and connection to managerial actions or practice. "Refined" proposals and/or research findings are not required. An aim of the MSR Promising Dissertation Proposal Awards is to capture early ideation or research of significant promise and to provide subsequent assistance in the refinement of quality scholarly efforts. Already completed or defended dissertations are ineligible. Please contact the MSR Promising Dissertation Proposal Committee Chair for questions regarding qualifications or eligibility of your submission. Judi Neal, judi@edgewalkers.org.
Selection Committee
The selection committee for the Promising Dissertation Proposal Awards in any given year may consist of MSR Interest Group officers, distinguished Academy of Management scholars, and external invited reviewers. All decisions by the selection committee are final. Anyone who wishes to serve on the selection committee should contact either the MSR Promising Dissertation Proposal Committee Chair or the MSR Chair if interested. Thank you for your support and interest in MSR. We look forward to your participation in this program.
Judi Neal
Chair, MSR Promising Dissertation Proposal Award Committee
judi@edgewalkers.org
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Judi Neal Ph.D.
Researcher
Edgewalkers International
Fayetteville AR
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