Prize For Excellence in Financial Markets

The annual Morgan Stanley Prize for Excellence in Financial Markets was established to reward brilliance in financial research among doctoral and masters students in the U.S. from top Finance, Mathematical Finance, Economic, and Computer Science programs. A panel of esteemed professors evaluate submissions and three finalists are chosen, who are then invited to Morgan Stanley’s headquarters in New York City in January 2014 to present their papers or projects to the panel and Morgan Stanley employees. The winner is announced during an awards ceremony held that evening.

To be considered for the Prize for Excellence, applicants may submit a Financial Paper, or a Project. Requirements on the project will be sent to you once you e-mail us via instructions below.

PRIZE AWARDS

• Winner: $5,000 and a Summer Internship with Morgan Stanley Strats & Modeling (MSSM)
  
• First and Second Runner Up: Accelerated interview process for a Summer Internship with MSSM
  

Project:

• Winner: $5,000 and Summer Internship with Morgan Stanley Strats & Modeling (MSSM)
  
• First and Second Runner Up: Accelerated interview process for a Summer Internship with MSSM

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I apply?
Papers: To apply, submit a finance or financial economics paper and as well as your resume to PrizeForExcellence@morganstanley.com

Projects: To apply, submit your resume to PrizeForExcellence@morganstanley.com stating that you would like to participate in the project for Prize for Excellence. The project description will then be emailed to you.

Note: In order to be eligible, you must be a current student pursuing a PhD OR Masters in Financial Engineering, Computation, or Mathematics. You must have a graduation date on or after December 2014.

Is there a deadline for submission?
Yes, the deadline for both papers and projects is November 25, 2013.

Are there any requirements in terms of the paper topic?
Any topic in finance or financial economics is acceptable.

Are Post-Docs eligible for the Prize for Excellence in Financial Markets?
Unfortunately no, this is only open to penultimate and final year Doctoral or Masters students.

It is quite common for doctoral students to work with their professors and write joint papers. These papers are usually based on the student's dissertation. Are such papers acceptable?
Your paper may be co-authored with a professor, but keep in mind that only the student will be eligible. Projects, however, must be done individually.

Do I need to include any other info when submitting the paper or project to the PrizeForExcellence@morganstanley.com?
Students should submit a resume, which clearly highlights the following: university, thesis advisor name, expected graduation date, and department or field of study (Math, Stats, Operations Research, Business School, Economics, etc.).

Is there a page limit to the paper?
50 page maximum limit (including tables).

What biographical and contact information should I include on the title page?
Contact information should include email, telephone number and postal address, which should be listed in your resume. Please also include whether or not the research was supported by a research grant.

Morgan Stanley reserves the right to change or modify the terms and conditions of the Prize for Excellence in Financial Markets, including but not limited to eligibility parameters, at any time in the sole discretion of Morgan Stanley.