Call for Nominations: Think Tank Prize

The Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative and the Think Tank Fund have jointly established an annual prize for policy analysis and advocacy excellence to be awarded by the Policy Association for Open Society (PASOS). The prize is intended to reward policy centers for exceptional work, to spur further innovation, and to better publicize the findings of outstanding policy analysis. The 2010 award will be presented at the PASOS Annual Conference to take place in Berlin, Germany, in November 2010.

The competition seeks to promote high-quality standards in the work of think tanks—both in the PASOS region of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and (in future years, when more categories are planned) globally. It is held in conjunction with the PASOS "seal of excellence" (principles and standards for project management and quality control in think tank policy work).

The PASOS Award 2010 will recognize a think tank that has published a policy study (up to 12,000 words) of exceptional quality. Particular attention in the selection will be given to innovation in the way research or methodology was conceived, implemented, and/or communicated to influence policymakers. The winner will be chosen by a panel of experts, who will make a selection emphasizing the greatest contribution to effective policy analysis and to shaping public policy.

Deadline

August 30, 2010

About PASOS

PASOS is a network of more than 40 independent think-tanks spanning more than 26 countries in Europe and Central Asia. PASOS aims to promote and protect democracy, human rights and open society values—including the rule of law, good governance, and economic and social development— by supporting civil society organizations that individually and jointly foster public participation in public policy issues at the European Union level, in other European and global structures, and in the wider neighborhood of Europe and Central Asia.

Nominations

Each nomination must consist of:

• a letter of nomination in English from the think tanks director explaining why the publication deserves to win a PASOS Think-Tank Award. The letter should state the publication year and publisher.
• an electronic copy of the nominated publication, and  
• a maximum of 20 pages of supporting material, such as letters, reviews, media coverage, etc. (in any language).

Eligibility

Nominations can be made by any current PASOS member. In any one year, only one submission per award category will be allowed by any one think-tank. A publication commissioned by a think tank, but published by a third party (e.g. a commercial publisher or a university press), is eligible for nomination. A publication published by the think-tank itself is also eligible. The nominee must be a current PASOS member. Think tanks, not individuals, are eligible for nomination.

The minimum length of the publication should be 3,000 words and the maximum length should be 12,000 words. The publication must be in English. The publication should have been published in 2009 or 2010.

Jury

The winner will be selected by a jury of leading experts from the international think tank world and experienced policymakers. The jury for the 2010 awards will comprise:

• Ronald D. Asmus, Executive Director, Transatlantic Center and Strategic Planning, Brussels, Belgium, German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Peter Balazs, Professor, International Relations and European Studies, Central European University (CEU), Hungary, and Director, Center for EU Enlargement Studies at CEU, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hungary (April 2009 - May 2010) 
• Thomas Carothers, Vice-President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington D.C., USA
• Heather Grabbe, Director, Open Society Institute-Brussels, and Director of EU Affairs, Open Society Foundations
• Barbara Lippert, Director of Studies, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)), Berlin, Germany 
• Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor of Democracy Studies, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany, and founder, Romanian Academic Society

Award Details

The winner will be presented with a specially designed PASOS Think-Tank Award 2010, along with prize money amounting to €7,500.

The winners will be announced on the PASOS, LGI, and OSI Think Tank Fund websites.

Note: The jury reserves the right not to award a prize.