The Ross Roy Prize, commemorating the outstanding contribution to Scottish literature made by Professor G. Ross Roy of the University of South Carolina, is awarded annually to the best PhD thesis submitted on a subject relating to Scottish literature.

Eligibility and Deadlines
The Ross Roy Prize is awarded each Autumn. The winner receives a small cash prize and is publicly recognised at a prestigious ceremony hosted by The Saltire Society. To be eligible for the award in a given year, the candidate’s doctoral thesis must have been submitted (though not necessarily examined) in the twelve months prior to 30 April of that year. Theses submitted from May onward in a given year are eligible for the following year’s awards.

Nomination
Supervisors or examiners of doctoral theses submitted to member institutions are invited to make nominations (via the Secretary) by 1 June of each year. The UCSL judging panel is drawn from across the membership of UCSL and changes on a regular basis.

Past Winners  

2025	Suping Li, University of Glasgow
2024	Charlotte Lauder, University of Strathclyde
2023	Paula Sledzinska, University of Aberdeen
2022	Kate Wilson, University of Strathclyde
2021	Nia Clark, University of Glasgow
2020	Paul Malgrati, University of St Andrews
2019	Roseannah Murphy, University of Strathclyde
2018	Lauren Weiss, University of Stirling
2017	Lucy Linforth, University of Edinburgh
2016	Craig Lamont, University of Glasgow
2015	Michael Shaw, University of Glasgow
2014	Barbara Leonardi, University of Stirling
2013	Michael Morris, University of Glasgow
2012	Corey Gibson, University of Edinburgh
2011	Sally Newsome, University of Aberdeen
2010	Ainsley McIntosh, University of Aberdeen

We are thankful to the late Professor Douglas Gifford (emeritus Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow), the late Dr Gavin Wallace (Scottish Arts Council), and Professor Gerard Carruthers (Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at Glasgow), for the establishment of the prize, whose first winners received a medal rather than a cash award. Since 2013 the prize has been hosted by The Saltire Society.