About the Award

The ISOFT Doctoral Dissertation in Software Engineering Award(ISOFT DDSE Award) recognizes an outstanding PhD dissertation in the field of Software Engineering completed at an Indian institution/University. The award highlights research excellence, innovation, depth of contribution, and potential for long-term impact.

Eligibility

• The nominee must have completed a PhD at an Indian institution/University.
• The dissertation must be in Software Engineering or a closely related area.
• the nominated candidate should have successfully defended his/her thesis between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
• Self-nominations are permitted.

Important: Every Ph.D. granting entity in India – where departments, centers, schools within the same institute/university will be treated as distinct entities – will be allowed to nominate 1 candidate each, working in relevant areas. An entity that produces more than 10 dissertations in relevant areas during the one year period under consideration can nominate 2 students. In such situations, entities should self-declare in case they are nominating 2 students and furnish supporting evidence in the form of a formal letter signed by an appropriate authority (e.g., department/centre head, academic registrar, etc.).

Nomination Materials

Important: Nominations must be made by the doctoral advisor. All materials must be in English and submitted in PDF format. Late submissions will not be accepted.

1. Nomination letter by the thesis advisor. This letter must include:
   1. The advisor’s full name, postal address, telephone number, and email address.
   2. The candidate’s full name, postal address, and email address.
   3. A one-page nomination statement (approximately 200–300 words) explaining why the nominee should receive the award. The statement should emphasize the significance of the dissertation (do not merely repeat the thesis abstract), and place the work in context within Software Engineering / Data Science (as applicable).
   4. A concise citation line (maximum 25 words) that highlights the key technical or professional accomplishment for which the nominee merits the award. This will serve as a suggested citation if the nominee is selected. (Final wording is at the discretion of the Awards Committee.)
2. Endorsement letter from the department head (or a suitable substitute where a conflict of interest exists).
3. Supporting letters: At least one and no more than three support letter(s) from recognized experts in the area of Software Engineering who can provide independent evidence or insight into the dissertation’s impact.
   • Each supporting letter must include the supporter’s name, postal address, and telephone number.
   • The nominating advisor may not be an author of any supporting letter. However, other faculty members of the department or the mebers of various committees related to candidate's PhD dissertation can write such letters.
4. Electronic copy of the dissertation (PDF) in English.
5. Thesis review comments provided by the external examiners (PDF).
6. List of publications (conference and journal) arising from the dissertation, with full citations where available. Include copies of peer-review comments or review reports received during the publication process where available.

Note: The dissertation may be nominated concurrently for other national or international awards (e.g., ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award, ACM India Awards, SIGSOFT Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award). Please indicate in your submission if concurrent nominations have been made.

Submission Method

Selection Criteria

The selection committee will evaluate dissertations based on:

• Originality and novelty of the research.
• Technical depth and rigor.
• Contribution to knowledge in Software Engineering.
• Evidence of real-world or academic impact.
• Overall writing quality and clarity.

Award

The Winner and Runners-up will receive:

• An official ISOFT Doctoral Dissertation in Software Engineering Award certificate.
• A plaque and a cheque for INR 50,000 for the Winner
.
• A plaque and a cheque of INR 25,000 for the runners-up.
• Free registration to attend the ISEC conference
• Invitation to receive the award at the ISEC Award Ceremony.
• An invitation to present the dissertation at ISEC.
• A spotlight feature on the ISOFT website.