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Prizes

The NZPSA awards six annual prizes:
  • A Postgraduate Conference Prize for the best paper in the field of Environmental Politics and Policy.
  • A Postgraduate Conference Prize for the best paper in the field of Aotearoa New Zealand domestic politics.
  • A Postgraduate Conference Prize in any other field of political studies.
  • An undergraduate prize for the best essay submitted in a course on Aotearoa New Zealand politics in a New Zealand University.
  • An undergraduate prize for the best essay on Māori Politics submitted in a course at any Aotearoa New Zealand University.
  • A publication prize in alternate years for a peer-reviewed academic journal article or book chapter and for a peer-reviewed book.

Prize winners are announced at the NZPSA Conference and are recorded on this page.

*In 2020, the NZPSA Conference was cancelled. Because of this, there were only undergraduate prizes in that year.

Undergraduate Essay Prize in Māori Politics

A prize of $500 is awarded for the best undergraduate essay in the field  of Māori Politics submitted as part of the requirements for a 100-300 level course at any New Zealand University. One nomination per year can be made by any Course Convenor in a New Zealand University (you do not need to be a NZPSA member or in a politics programme/department). Essays within the distinction range (A- to A+) are welcome.

This prize originated in 2015 due to the generosity of Professor Raymond Miller (University of Auckland) who funded the prize (initially with support from the NZPSA) from the royalties received for his edited volume New Zealand Government and Politics. The new editors of the book, Professor Janine Hayward (Otago University), Dr Lara Greaves (Auckland) and Dr Claire Timperley (Victoria University) are very pleased to continue this tradition.

It is expected that Course Convenors nominating an essay will take full precautions against any possible plagiarism, and will seek the student's permission. The NZPSA's Māori Representative will appoint a panel of judges, whose decision will be final. The prize is intended to be received by only one student, but it can be shared by one or more students on the recommendation of the panel to the NZPSA President.
To apply
Course convenors need to send an electronic copy of the essay in Microsoft Word and an email with the student's name, the convenor's name, their affiliation, and the name, level and nature of the course it was submitted for by 5pm Tuesday 7th of November 2023 to the NZPSA's Māori Representative, Dr Lara Greaves: lara.greaves@auckland.ac.nz
Winners

2022: Nuku Tau (Ngāi Tahi): "A Critique of the Supersession Thesis with Regard to Aotearoa’s Treaty of Waitangi Settlements"

  • The panel of judges also highly commended the reflective essay submitted by Kim Kuiti

2021: Tohunga Riwai (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Taupō) (University of Otago)

2020: Hanna Thompson (University of Auckland)

2019: Te Karuoterangi Tuteao (Waikato-Tainui / Ngaati Mahuta ki te tai hauaauru)

2018: Miriama Aoake (University of Auckland)

2016: Awhina Milne (Victoria University of Wellington), nominated by Maria Bargh.

2015: Cervantee Wild (University of Auckland), nominated by Julie MacArthur for her essay in Politics 313.

Undergraduate Essay Prize for Aotearoa New Zealand Politics

Details
A prize of $500 is awarded for the best undergraduate essay submitted as part of the requirements for a course on New Zealand domestic politics at 100-300 levels. One nomination per year can be made by a Course Convenor at any New Zealand University (you do not need to be a NZPSA member to nominate an essay). Essays within the distinction range (A- to A+) are welcome. It is expected that Course Convenors nominating an essay will take full precautions against any possible plagiarism, and will seek the student's permission.

This prize originated in 2009 due to the generosity of Professor Raymond Miller (University of Auckland) who funded the prize from the royalties received for his edited volume New Zealand Government and Politics. The new editors of the book, Professor Janine Hayward (Otago University), Dr Lara Greaves (Auckland) and Dr Claire Timperley (Victoria University) are very pleased to continue this tradition.

The Convenor of the NZPSA New Zealand Politics Network will appoint a panel of judges to receive nominations and award the prize. The panel's decision will be final. The prize is intended to be received by only one student, but it can be shared by one or more students on the recommendation of the panel.
To apply

Course convenors need to send an electronic copy of the essay in Microsoft Word and an email with the student's name, the convenor's name and their affiliation, and the name, level and nature of the course it was submitted for by 5pm Thursday 30th of November 2023 to the Convenor of the Aotearoa New Zealand Politics Network, Prof. Janine Hayward.

Winners

2022: Liam Stevens (University of Otago): "Does Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Butler’s ‘Constitution Aotearoa’ give effect to the rights guaranteed in te Tiriti o Waitangi?"

2021: Caleb Hewson (University of Otago)

2020: Niamh O'Donnell (University of Otago)

2019: Chloe Jackman (AUT, submitted by Kate Nicholls)

2018: Esme Hall (University of Otago)

2016: Matthew van Wijk (University of Auckland), nominated by Raymond Miller for his essay in Politics 353.

2015: Pita Roycroft (Victoria University of Wellington), nominated by Jon Johansson for his essay in Politics 353.

2014: Kieran Gainsford (University of Auckland), nominated by Victoria Woodman for his essay in Politics 352.

2013: Ellie Argyle (Victoria University of Wellington), nominated by her honours course convenor Stephen Levine, and a special Commendation for his first year essay to Abbas Nazir, nominated by his course convenor Bronwyn Hayward

2012: Nicholas Donaldson (University of Auckland)

2011: Rachael Chappell (University of Auckland)

2009: Lewis Mills (University of Auckland)

NZ Politics Postgraduate Conference

Paper Prize

Details

This prize originated in 2009 due to the generosity of Professor Raymond Miller (University of Auckland) who funded the prize from the royalties received for his edited volume New Zealand Government and Politics. The new editors of the book, Professor Janine Hayward (Otago University), Dr Lara Greaves (Auckland) and Dr Claire Timperley (Victoria University) are very pleased to continue this tradition.

The Convenor of the NZPSA New Zealand Politics Network will appoint a panel of judges to receive nominations and award the prize. The panel's decision will be final. The prize is intended to be received by only one student, but it can be shared by one or more students on the recommendation of the panel.

To apply

Those interested must provide via email an electronic file in Microsoft Word that includes the title of the paper, an abstract, paper and the author's name and affiliation, along with evidence that the paper has been accepted by the NZPSA Conference organisers. Please email these documents by 5pm Thursday 30th of November 2023 to the Convenor of the Aotearoa New Zealand Politics Network, Prof. Janine Hayward.

Postgraduates should think about the paper as the first step toward a future journal submission. It will not be expected at this point that it is at the standard of a journal submission. All submitted papers will therefore be reviewed by the judging panel and constructive suggestions for improvement in terms of a potential publication will be provided.

Note that dissertations are not accepted. Papers should be presented at the conference in the year of submission, be approximately 6000 words and will not be accepted if they are over 8000 words excluding the abstract, references and tables. (Note that submissions to Political Science are a maximum of 7500 words). Papers can be co-authored with other students, but they must be fully written by the student(s) making the submission: papers co-authored with supervisors or other staff members are excluded from consideration. If only data from staff is included – as is the norm in political psychology and hence the convention is also to those staff member's names –  then the paper will be accepted if the judges are assured the student wrote the paper themselves.

Winners

2022: Yu Du (University of Auckland): "We want more than descriptive representation: Chinese New Zealanders’ evolved demands through political participation"

2021: Shirin Brown (Auckland University of Technology)

2019: Joshua Ferrer (University of Otago): "The Effects of Proportional Representation on Election Lawmaking in New Zealand"

2018: Shirin Brown (Auckland University of Technology): "Representation and Responsibility - Uh ... What About the Rights of the People Who Represent Us?"

2015: Sylvia Nissen (Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Canterbury): "Student political agency and the market university: The case of students’ associations in New Zealand."

2014: Joanne Waitoa (Institute of Development Studies, Massey University): "The Role of Social Media in Māori Political Engagement."

2013: Lara M. Greaves (Department of Psychology, University of Auckland): "Profiling the Fence-Sitters in New Zealand Elections: A Latent Class Model Identifying Distinct Voting Blocs."

2012: Juana Diesing (Department of Politics, University of Otago): "Does social media engage New Zealanders with political news?"

2011: Josh Hercus (Department of Politics, University of Otago): "Youth Voter Turnout in New Zealand: Perceptions and Attitudes of Student Non-Voters in the 2010 Local Body Elections"

2010: Victoria Crockford (Victoria University of Wellington): "'The Personal is Global' - A feminist exploration of the gendered implications of the migration of aged-care workers in Aotearoa-New Zealand"

2009: Joint winners Ashley Murchison (University of Otago): "Political Communication in New Zealand: A Study of Political Party Advertising in the 2008 General Election" and Margaret Joiner (University of Auckland) - "New Zealand First: parallels between the man and the party"

NZPSA Postgraduate Conference

Paper Prize

Details

Since 2007 a prize of $500 has been awarded for the best postgraduate paper at the NZPSA conference, and from 2009 it has been awarded to a paper in any area of political studies other than Aotearoa New Zealand domestic politics. An independent panel of judges will be appointed by the NZPSA President whose decision will be final. The prize is intended to be received by only one student, but it can be shared by one or more students on the recommendation of the panel.

To apply

Those interested need to provide via email an electronic file in Microsoft Word that includes the title of the paper, an abstract, paper and the author's name and affiliation, along with evidence that the paper has been accepted by the NZPSA Conference organisers. Please email these documents by 5pm Thursday 30th of November 2023 to the NZPSA President, Richard Shaw.

Postgraduates should think about the paper as the first step toward a future journal submission. It will not be expected at this point that it is at the standard of a journal submission. All submitted papers will therefore be reviewed by the judging panel and constructive suggestions for improvement in terms of a potential publication will be provided.

Note that dissertations are not accepted. Papers should be presented at the conference in the year of submission, be approximately 6000 words and will not be accepted if they are over 8000 words excluding the abstract, references and tables. Papers can be co-authored with other students, but they must be fully the work of the student(s) making the submission: papers co-authored with supervisors or other staff members are excluded from consideration.

Winners

2022: Tim Lawler (University of Auckland): "U.S. Presidents and the Human Rights of ‘Terrorist Suspects’"

2021: Tim Lawler (University of Auckland): "The Competition between Agency and Structure in Explaining Presidential Behaviour in Human Rights Policy"

2019: Esme Hall (University of Otago): "Uncovering silences in collective memory: how France deals with challenges to Republican nationalism from memories of Algeria"

2018: Sereyvicheth Chunly (University of Auckland): "Liberation Technology? Measuring the Impact of Facebook on Political Participation in Cambodia." 

2016: Jovanie Camacho Espesor (Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Canterbury): "Democracy, Insurgency and Hybrid Regime: Interrogating the role of non-government aid organisations in democracy promotion in conflict-ridden communities of Mindanao"

2015: Stuart Weierter (Department of Political Science, University of New South Wales): "John Dewey's insecure Leviathan."

2014: John Gray (National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago): "Help or Hindrance? Analyzing the impact of post-conflict security sector reform."

2013: Maria Tanyag (Discipline of Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland): "Beyond Pinays and Pills: Intersectionality, Coalitions and Policy Change."

2012: Elvira Bobekova (University of Otago): "Rivers of Peace: The Role of Third Parties in Conflict Management of Transboundary River Disputes in Asia and Africa."

2011: Amy Thomson (Massey University): "The ‘Dynamics of Contention’ in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Understanding the origins and failure of the 2009 Post-election Protests"

2010: Joint winners Rosanna Keam (University of Auckland): "The contradiction of 'Mining for poverty alleviation' within a context of water scarcity: a case study of Namibia" and Nobuhiro Ihara (University of Melbourne): "Establishment of ASEAN as a Process of Reassurance by Indonesia"

2009: No entries

2008: Kim Summersby (University of Auckland): "Does Māori Representation Matter?: Māori Substantive Political Representation in Practice"

2007:  Joint winners: David Hall (Victoria University of Wellington): "An Inconvenient Obligation: How Governments Justify the Restriction of Asylum Seekers in Canada and Australia" and Rupert Mackintosh (Victoria University of Wellington): "Now or Later? New Zealand and Australian Climate Change’"

Environmental Politics and Policy Postgraduate Conference Paper Prize

Details

In 2016 a new prize of $500 was launched for postgraduates in the field of environmental politics and policy for a paper presented at the NZPSA conference. The aim of the prize is to stimulate and recognize the work of excellent postgraduate researchers working on issues of environmental policy, political ecology, environmental governance and justice. The Convenor of the NZPSA EPPN will appoint a panel of judges and the panel’s decision will be final. The prize is intended to be received by only one student, but it can be shared by one or more students on the recommendation of the panel.  In years where the submissions are not of an acceptable quality no prize will be awarded. 

To apply

Those interested must provide via email an electronic file in Microsoft Word that includes the title of the paper, an abstract, the author’s name and affiliation, and the paper along with evidence that it has been accepted by the NZPSA Conference organisers. Please email these documents by 5pm Thursday 30th of November 2023 to the Convenor of the New Zealand Environmental Politics and Policy Network, Priya Kurian.

Note that dissertations are not accepted. Papers should be presented at the conference in the year of submission, be approximately 6000 words and will not be accepted if they are over 8000 words excluding the abstract, references and tables. Papers can be co-authored with other students, but they must be fully the work of the student(s) making the submission: papers co-authored with supervisors or other staff members are excluded from consideration. Winning papers must be thoroughly proofread, and include an integrated discussion of theories and perspectives used in the analysis, and be of near publishable quality.

Winners

2022: Shannon Hodge (University of Waikato): "Constructing the circular economy: A discourse analysis of conceptualisations of circularity across New Zealand central government agencies”

2021: Cathrine Dyer (University of Auckland): “The rhetoric behind strategic policy underreactions in Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate change response”

2019: Shaaliny Jaufar (University of Waikato): "Sustainable citizenship among young people in the Maldives and New Zealand: Context, conditions and experiences" 

2016: Timothy McGiven (University of Waikato): "International Investment Dispute Arbitration: An Analysis of the Environmental and Social Justice Implications of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement for Environmental Governance in New Zealand"


Publication Prize

Details

This prize will be awarded annually at the NZPSA AGM, in alternate years for a peer-reviewed academic journal article or book chapter (2023) and for a peer-reviewed book (2024). In each case, publication should have taken place over the previous two years to June 30 of the year the publication is submitted. The prize can be applied for by nomination or self-nomination, and will be adjudicated by a panel of three appointed by the NZPSA President, in consultation with the Executive. 

The publication in question must be authored/co-authored or edited/co-edited by at least one member of the NZPSA who can demonstrate a long-standing connection to Aotearoa New Zealand (the strength of which the judges have the discretion to determine). The prize is for the publication, so in the case of multiple authors or editors it will be awarded to all.

However, in the case of co-authorship or co-editorship including persons not an NZPSA member and unable to demonstrate a long-standing connection to Aotearoa New Zealand, the qualifying authors or editors must have made a sufficiently significant contribution to the book or article in question and the extent of this contribution will be part of the evaluation. For example, a sole-authored work will be awarded the prize if in competition with a jointly-authored work of the same quality with some authors/editors not otherwise eligible. Judges’ decisions will be final.

Receipt of the prize will be signified by a framed certificate or certificates, presented at the NZPSA Annual Conference.

To Apply

Applicants are asked to email a pdf of the published article or book chapter to the NZPSA President, Richard Shaw by 5pm Friday 27 October 2023. The prize will be adjudicated by a panel of three, appointed by and including the President, and the panel’s decision will be final.

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