lifetime achievement award

The ECPR's Lifetime Achievement Award is presented on a biennial basis to a scholar who has made an outstanding contribution to European political science. The next prize will be awarded in 2009 during the Potsdam General Conference. The deadline for nominations for the 2009 Prize is 1 March, 2009.

Nomination procedure:

1. All nominations should be accompanied by (a) a curriculum vitae and bibliography of the nominee(s) and (b) a letter(s) of recommendation from the nominator(s).
2. The prize is conferred every two years at an award ceremony at the European Consortium for Political Research’s General Conference.
3. The amount of the prize is 5000 euros. The ECPR will also cover travel within Europe (standard class) and accommodation for the laureate to attend the prize giving ceremony.
4. The jury will be composed of the ECPR Chair and two other scholars chosen by the ECPR Executive Committee. The Academic Director will also be an ex-officio member of the jury.
5. Nominations for the prize can be made by the Official Representatives of ECPR member institutions or by national political science associations.
6. Current members of the ECPR Executive Committee are not eligible for this prize.
7. Nominations should be sent by email to the ECPR Central Services. Nominations must normally be received by 1 March in the year the prize is to be awarded.
8. A copy of the jury’s report and laudatio will be made publicly available.

2007 ECPR Lifetime Achievement Award

Philippe Schmitter was awarded the 2007 ECPR Lifetime Achievement Award during the 4th ECPR General Conference at the University of Pisa in September 2007 for his outstanding contribution to European Political Science

Philippe Schmitter (1936) studied at the Graduate Institute for International Studies of the University of Geneva and subsequently took his doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1967 he was appointed as assistant professor by the Department of Political Science of  the University of Chicago, where he later became full professor. Between 1986 and 1996 he taught at the European University Institute (1982-86), then moved to Stanford (1986-96). He taught again at the EUI until 2004 and was thereafter nominated Professorial Fellow of the Department of Social and Political Sciences of that Institute.

Prof. Schmitter has published numerous books and articles on comparative politics, on regional integration in Western Europe and Latin America, on the transition from authoritarian rule in Southern Europe and Latin America, and on the intermediation of class, sectoral and professional interests.

2005 ECPR Lifetime Achievement Award

The prize was conferred for the first time during the Budapest General Conference in September 2005 to Giovanni Sartori on the grounds of his substantive and organisational contribution to European Political Science over a long career. Particular mention was made of the application of his theory of parties to the study of European party systems and his founding of the Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica.