The Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and the Society for International Comparative Policy Analysis seeks to reward and encourage excellence in comparative policy analysis as represented in research papers delivered at APPAM's annual Fall Research Conference.
The author or co-authors of the selected paper receive/share a cash award in the amount of $1,000 in addition to a plaque and recognition at the annual APPAM Fall Research Conference. The selected paper also will be eligible for immediate review for publication in the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis (JCPA). There is no support available for the cost of travel to receive the award. The award will be offered on an annual basis but will not be made if suitable submissions are not received.
The criteria for assessment will be based on a wide spectrum as identified in Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis' Statement of Aims and Scope. If a suitable candidate is found, the committee will announce its selection before the Fall Conference.
Since its inception in 1998, JCPA has been the leading journal dedicated explicitly to comparative policy analysis, fostering a vibrant international community of scholars. An A journal, JCPA is published at Routledge/Taylor & Francis (3.9 (2023) Impact Factor; 6.9 Cite Score ESCO; Q1 Impact Factor Best Quartile). It is affiliated with the Society for International Comparative Policy Analysis supporting the Journal's mission. Learn more about publishing with the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis.
The deadline to submit for this award is September 15, 2025. Please email jcpaawards@gmail.com if you are interested in submitting.
2022 Award Winner
Immigration, Government Type, and Social Welfare Spending by Hang Qi, University of Missouri
2021 Award Winner
Life-Cycle Dynamics and Developmental Processes in Collaborative Partnerships: Examples from four watersheds in the U.S. by Mark T. Imperial, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
2020 Award Winner
The Political Development of Public Policy - Political Controversy, Partisanship, and Health Care for the Poor: A Comparative Analysis of U.S. Policies, 1965-1989 by Emily Parker, Cornell University.
2019 Award Winners
Empowering Women in South Asia’s informal settlements: The Challenges of Environmental Degradation, by Amit Patel, University of Massachusetts Boston; Hina Lotia, LEAD Pakistan; Ammar A. Malik, Urban Institute; Marcia D. Mundt, University of Massachusetts Boston; Hyunjung Lee, University of Massachusetts Boston; Muhammad Arshed Rafiq, LEAD Pakistan
Are We Digging in the Wrong Place? Age, Period, and Cohort Explanations for Changing Crime Rates, by William Spelman, University of Texas at Austin
No award was given in 2017 and 2018.
2016 Award Winner
Toward a Comparative Analysis of Labour Administration Systems, by Jason Heyes, Work, Organisation & Employment Relations Research Centre, Sheffield University Management School, United Kingdom
2015 Award Winners
Independent Professional Bureaucracies and Street-Level Corruption: Evidence from Latin America, by Laura Langbein, American University and Pablo Sanabria, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, Colombia
2014 Award Winners
Global Expansion of Renewable Energy Generation: An Analysis of Policy Instruments, by Sanya Carley, Jennifer Brass, Elizabeth Baldwin, and Lauren M. MacLean, Indiana University