Contestants and Entries

• Only contestants with at least a second cycle graduate (master level) or PhD degree, will be allowed to compete.
• No full time professors will be allowed to compete. Visiting professors, lecturers or assistant professors will be permitted.
• No jury member will be allowed to participate.
• No permanent staff from a European savings bank or related company will be allowed to compete.
• Finalists of former editions of the European Savings Banks Academic Award will not be allowed to compete.
• All applications must be written in English (British spelling) and should be submitted in two formats: hard copy and as an electronic MS Word file. The manuscripts should conform to the guidelines outlined in the style sheet. The application must consist of the following:
  • A curriculum vitae
  • A letter of nomination from the national coordinator
  • A letter of introduction from the supporting professor or examination board
  • A manuscript of a max. 30 pages, conforming to the style sheet guidelines
  • An executive summary/abstract of not more than one double spaced page. These abstracts may subsequently be published via a communication channel of Europe’s savings bank organisations, but will be appropriately sourced to the author
  • The complete research study if available; although only the manuscript of 30 pages will be considered for the Award
• Only work being unpublished before the launch of the Award will be considered
• Entries, which fail to comply with these official rules, will be disqualified from the competition.
  
  Selection Process
   
• The assessment of what constitutes an outstanding contribution to the European savings banks community will be based on following criteria:
  • Concerning content: research work will be evaluated based upon;
    • usefulness for the day-to-day development and work of the savings banks;
    • breadth of analysis, based on historical aspects;
    • particular attention to inclusion of Sustainable Development and/or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aspects.
  • Concerning form: presentation – the quality of transmitting the research will be evaluated based upon;
    • methodology and coherent structure;
    • text: clear, narrative form. Econometrical calculations and elaborations and Clio metrics will be presented in an annex.
• Applications will initially be considered on a national level. The national organisation or national coordinator appointed by the national savings bank or organisation will prepare a short list of candidates for the European Savings Banks Academic Award.
• A maximum of three candidates will be accepted at each national level.
• The deadline for the national coordinators to submit applications to the European Savings Banks Academic Award judging committee is th end  of November 2009.
• National coordinators should address their submissions to the ESBG to the attention of Ms Nancy Lockkamper, Archivist Tel: +32 2 211 11 11,
  E-mail: nancy.lockkamper@savings-banks.com
• Applications submitted directly to the European Savings Banks Group will not be considered.
  
  Jury
   
• The jury will consist of a specially appointed committee comprising university professors, editors and savings bank managers from different European countries and will be presided  by Mr. Chris De Noose, ESBG Managing Director.
• The jury will select the winner by consensus and a maximum of two runners-up will be voted upon for the European Savings Banks Academic Award. Each member of the jury has one vote. In the absence of a majority, the president of the jury holds the deciding vote.
• No joint prize will be permitted. Should none of the submitted manuscripts be satisfactory, the jury can decide not to award the prize.
• All members of the jury will abide by the confidentiality of the voting and deliberation process.
• The result of the competition will be presented to the ESBG Board of Directors.

     Awarding of the Prize

• The winner will be awarded a prize of €5,000, the second place finalist €2,500 and the third place finalist €1,500.
• Publication of the winning manuscript will be considered in one of the following publications dependent on the theme and relevance and readability of the work :
  • "Cahiers de l’épargne"’ of the “Association pour l’histoire des Caisses d’Epargne”
  • "Perspectives" of the “European Savings Banks Group”
  • "Sparkassen in der Geschichte" of the “Wissenschaftsförderung der SparkassenFinanzgruppe”
  • "Estudios" de la Fundación de las Cajas de Ahorros Confederadas para la Investagacion Económica y Social
• The editors of the afore-mentioned publications will hold the publishing rights for one year. If publication of the work is not guaranteed during the first year following the award, the author has full rights to publish his/her work. The editors should inform the author within 3 months of the award whether or not their work will be published.
• If publication of the winning study has already been decided upon, the publication will be presented to the public at the official celebration of the winners at the next Conference on Savings Banks History. Please note that the organisers are not obliged to publish the winning manuscript.
• The finalists agree to attend or to be officially represented at the Official Ceremony that will be held on the occasion of the next European Savings Banks Conference.
• By submitting their application, the candidates agree to accept the terms and conditions formulated in the official rules of the European Savings Banks Academic Award.