Prospect magazine is looking for entries for their think tanks annual award. This year they have extended their reach to North America and Europe with two new categories.
Entries close on the 15th June 2012 and the award’s ceremony will take place at the Royal Society on 10th July 2012.
The categories are:
Global
- Think Tank of the Year
- Publication of the Year
UK
- UK Think Tank of the Year
- Economic & Financial
- Social Policy
- Energy & the Environment
- International Affairs
- One to Watch
North America
- North American Think Tank of the Year
Europe excluding the UK
- European Think Tank of the Year
In the past I have made it clear that I prefer this award to the think tank index produced by James McGann. I am keen to see how the new categories work out. The North American think tank category, I assume, includes Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico; but I have a feeling that Mexican think tanks will be left out. The Europe (minus UK) category is easier to define.
Unlike the McGann ranking, the Prospect awards are based on submissions by the organisations (or interested parties), there is a cost to entry (the equivalent of US$80), and the winners are decided by a panel that discusses each submission in some detail. This is not an objective award, but I do not think it claims to be. And that is what I like about it.
Still, I’d rather it was focused on the UK; even the global, North American, and European categories could be UK focused: judging the influence that those think tanks have had on the UK or on issues that affect the UK.