IALSE – DR. V. REGHU BEST PhD THESIS NATIONAL AWARD

The Indian Association of Life Skills Education has established a Best PhD Thesis National Award in the field of Life Skills Education. The goal of this award in Life Skills Education is to recognise outstanding doctoral research that advances theory or practice in Life Skills Education.

The Award includes a cash prize of Rs. 5001/- (Rupees Five Thousand and One only), along with a Memento and a Certificate. The award will be presented at the IALSE International Conference. The thesis of the awardee will be published by IALSE either as a monograph or as a research article with the permission of the author.

The award is named after Prof. (Dr.) V. Reghu, former Head of the Training and Orientation Division and Department of Youth Empowerment at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD). He also served as Dean of Research and Controller of Examinations at RGNIYD. Throughout his distinguished academic career, he successfully guided 25 PhD scholars and supervised 175 postgraduate dissertations. Before joining RGNIYD, he was the Director of the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education at the University of Kerala. Prof. Reghu received the prestigious Tagore Literacy National Award (2022) from the Indian Adult Education Association in New Delhi for his notable contributions to Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning. In recognition of his outstanding work in research, education, and youth empowerment, IALSE has proposed establishing an award in his honour.

Eligibility for nomination

1. Individuals who have been awarded their PhD degree within the last two years.
2. Thesis must be directly related to Life Skills Education.
3. Research must demonstrate rigour, originality and contribution to the field of life skills education.
4. Has published at least two articles/studies in Scopus-indexed journals, book chapters, etc.
5. Has academically engaged in conference presentations, seminars, or workshops. Participated in at least two international conferences of repute.
6. Has developed tools, models or intervention programmes.
7. Has research-based recommendations influencing practice or policy.
8. Has received recognition or a grant for the thesis work.

The applicant or nominee should meet all the above criteria or at least five of them. Evidence supporting this, such as published papers, abstracts, presentations, posters, certificates, letters of appreciation or recognitions, can be submitted along with a detailed CV and a copy of the PhD synopsis.

Criteria for evaluation

1. Research Quality: Clarity of objectives, methodology, data analysis, and conclusions.
2. Contribution: Advancement of theory or practice in Life Skills Education.
3. Originality: Novel approaches, new tools, models or interventions.
4. Impact: Ability of the research to influence teaching, training, policy, or community practice.
5. Dissemination: Publications, conference participation, or other scholarly outputs.

Application/Nomination Process

1. The invitation to submit the application/nomination will be issued by the 10th of December 2025. The period will be from 15th December 2025 to 15th January 2026.
2. Detailed CV, a copy of the PhD thesis synopsis, evidence of research quality and impact, a copy of the certificate of participation in conferences, seminars, training programmes, a letter of recommendation from supervisor/ department and a covering letter from the applicant or nominating institution.

Selection Process

1. The Search Committee appointed by the Executive Committee of IALSE evaluates nominations based on the eligibility and evaluation criteria.
2. Five top candidates will be shortlisted for further review
3. The committee may recommend three names for the final decision of the EC of IALSE. If the recommendation is not unanimous, the committee members’ majority vote will be considered.
4. The Executive Committee of IALSE may select the awardee from the list recommended by the selection committee.

Timeline

1. December 10, 2025: The application/ nomination period opens
2. January 10, 2026: The application/ nomination period closes
3. January 15-20, 2026: Review committee evaluates nominations
4. January 25, 2026: Award recipient notified
5. February 2026: Award presented at the International Conference ofLife Skills Education

Application Guidelines

Applications or nominations must be submitted along with detailed CV, thesis synopsis, letters of recommendation and other relevant documents. All documents must be submitted both by email and as hard copies. The last date for receiving the applications (by email and by post) is 10 th January 2026.

Email Submission

All applicants must email their complete set of documents to: Secretary, IALSE at ialse.india@gmail.com

Hard Copy Submission

Hard copies should be posted to the Convenor of the Search Committee as given below:

Dr. Sunitha Ranjan
Flat 5A, Jamals Park Avenue,
No 69, Mc Nichols Road
Landmark: Surgical Avenue Building.
Chetpet, Chennai 600031