Nominations for the 2026 Dorothy Bishop Prize are now open!
Celebrating the contributions of early career researchers to research improvement
Have you, or has someone you know, achieved or contributed something special to improve research quality or promote open research practices?
UKRN is seeking nominations for the Dorothy Bishop Prize, which recognises and rewards the achievements of early career researchers based in the UK.
We particularly encourage nominations of those whose work has perhaps not yet achieved the recognition it deserves and would benefit from the recognition this award brings.
The Award
There will be up to three awards. The winners will each be awarded a prize of £500 (in the form of an Amazon voucher) and, more importantly perhaps, a “Doscar” – a Lego minifigure of Dorothy Bishop.
Who is Eligible?
You can nominate yourself, or nominate another person with their permission.
To be eligible for this prize, you need to be an “early career researcher” (ECR) based in the UK.
We consider an early career researcher to be someone who, at the time of nomination:
- Hasn’t yet completed a PhD or completed their PhD within the last 7 years. If the nominee has had gaps in their research career (e.g., due to parenting leave or caring responsibilities), or faced other challenges (e.g., long-term illness, disabilities), these periods do not count towards the 7 years.
- Has not held a permanent academic position equivalent to or above the level of lecturer or assistant professor (this includes any probation period preceding a permanent contract). Nominees may hold or have held a post-doctoral position, early career fellowship, or equivalent, or a teaching or support role (which may be fixed-term or permanent).
If you are unsure whether you or the person you want to nominate fits these criteria, feel free to contact us (contact@ukrn.org). We encourage nominations of and from individuals that belong to underrepresented groups or groups that have historically been excluded from research.
How to Nominate
Nominations open 3 December 2025 and close at midnight GMT on Sunday 18 January 2026.
Nominations will be made via an online form. This form asks for the following information:
- the name and email address of yourself and the person you are nominating
- the academic field/discipline of the nominee
- details of the nominee’s main academic position and type of contract
- for PhD-holding nominees: the year of obtaining the PhD and any periods since obtaining the PhD that should not count towards their ‘academic age’ (e.g., due to long-term illness, disabilities, or caring responsibilities) (optional)
- whether the nominee belongs to groups that are underrepresented or have historically been excluded from research (optional)
- whether the nominee has previously received any prizes or awards recognising their contributions to improving research quality or promoting open scholarship, and if so, which
- the nomination letter (max. 3,000 characters), which should focus on the nominee’s contribution(s) to efforts to improve research quality or promote open scholarship
Nominations received before midnight GMT on Sunday 18 January 2026 will be considered.
The UKRN Dorothy Bishop Prize Task Force will shortlist based on:
- Evidence of a contribution to the promotion and delivery of activities that have served to improve research quality or promote open scholarship; contributions will be evaluated relative to opportunity and access to opportunity.
- Alignment with the mission and values of UKRN.
A task force consisting of members of the UKRN Advisory Committees will evaluate the nominations and create a shortlist. The winner(s) will then be chosen by the Supervisory Board.
Nominees will be notified about whether they have been shortlisted in February 2026.
The winner or winners will be announced at the UKRN Annual Meeting in March 2026.
Link to the nomination form: https://tinyurl.com/Dorothy-Bishop-Prize-2026
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns: contact@ukrn.org.
For information on previous award winners: