UCLA Invites Entries For $10,000 Sardar Patel Dissertation Award

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA– The UCLA Center for India and South Asia has announced the 2026 Sardar Patel Award, inviting submissions for the best doctoral dissertation on modern India completed at a U.S. university.

The annual award carries a prize of $10,000 and is open to dissertations examining India from 1800 to the present across fields including history, social sciences, humanities, education, and the fine arts. Eligible submissions must have been completed between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025, at an accredited U.S. institution. Dissertations completed close to these dates may also be considered.

Applicants are required to submit a PDF of the dissertation along with a 500–1000 word abstract, a curriculum vitae, and a letter from a dissertation supervisor or department chair confirming completion within the specified period.

The deadline for submissions is April 20, 2026. Entries must be submitted online at https://www.international.ucla.edu/cisa/patel. For inquiries regarding competition guidelines: afmorcom@schoolofmusic.ucla.edu.

Established in 1999, the award is conferred annually by the UCLA Center for India and South Asia through an endowment created with contributions from the Friends of the Sardar Patel Association.

Applicants agree to have their dissertation abstracts published on the Center and Sardar Patel Association websites. The selected recipient is expected to attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles and acknowledge the Sardar Patel Association in any subsequent publications related to the dissertation.

The award is named after Vallabhbhai Patel, a leading figure in India’s independence movement and the country’s first Deputy Prime Minister, known for his role in integrating princely states into the Indian Union.