Ministerio de Defensa - Fidel Pagés Miravé Award

Fidel Pagés Miravé Award

You will receive a one-off prize of up to 9,000 EUR for an original, previously unpublished research paper in the field of health sciences relating to military medicine. This is a research prize, not a monthly scholarship. Each year, a jury selects the best submission, and the winning paper is published in the journal ‘Sanidad Militar’. You retain your copyright. The prize is awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Defence and has been open to international participants since 2011.

Who can apply

• Who you are: Anyone can apply, either individually or as part of a group. There are no restrictions regarding qualifications, stage of study, age or gender.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.
• Your work: You are submitting an original research paper in the field of health sciences which has a clear link to military medicine or which finds application in this field. The judging panel will pay particular attention to your scientific methodology.
• Language: You will write your paper in Spanish or English.
• Not previously published: Your work must not have been published anywhere previously, including online. A doctoral thesis that has already been published in any form is not considered unpublished.
• One entry: Only one entry may be submitted per person or group.

How to apply

You submit your paper and the required forms through the Ministry of Defence electronic portal or by post. The deadline falls after each year's call is published. For recent editions this has been around 30 working days from publication. A jury of military and civilian experts then judges the entries. It may declare the prize unawarded if no work is strong enough.

How realistic are your chances?

As this is a single annual prize for outstanding scientific work, competition is extremely fierce, and the judging panel may even decide not to award the prize in a year when the standard of entries is low. However, this narrow focus works in your favour. Your field of specialism must lie within the health sciences with a link to military medicine, which rules out most general researchers. If your work fits into this niche and demonstrates sound scientific methodology, you will be competing against a small, specialised group rather than the wider field.