ISBM Doctoral Support Awards
Introduction
Hongye Sun, Liuyi Wang and Soniya Gupta-Rawal have won awards from the Institute for the Study of Business Markets
INTEREST CATEGORY: INTERORGANIZATIONAL, DOCTORAL STUDENTS
POSTING TYPE: Awards
Posted by: Lori Nicolini
2025 ISBM Doctoral Support Award Competition Winners Announced
Winners have been named in the thirty-fifth annual Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) Doctoral Support Award Competition. Via the competition, the ISBM provides financial support for PhD dissertations for candidates in accredited doctoral programs.
This year three winners were selected and named ISBM Doctoral Fellows. Each will receive a cash award to support their research. The winning proposals illustrate the breadth of the B2B marketing domain.
Award Winners
Outstanding Submission:
Hongye Sun of the University of Utah won the award for the outstanding submission with his dissertation proposal, Utilization Turn: From Resource Acquisition to Resource Activation in Sales Organizations.  His Ph.D. Advisors are Stephen Carson and Catherine Tucker
Other Winners:
Liuyi Wang of the University of Arizona won with her dissertation proposal, History, Strategy, and Organizational Design: Vertical Integration Decisions Under Supplier Industry Horizontal Integration.  Her Ph.D. Advisor is Mrinal Ghosh.
Soniya Gupta-Rawal of the University of Cambridge won with her dissertation proposal, Governing B2B Knowledge Marketplaces: Matching Frictions, Fit, and Engagement on a Global Mentoring Platform.  Her Ph.D. Advisor is Jaideep Prabhu.
This year there were nineteen entrants from which eight finalists were selected. Dissertation entries are judged on the rigor of the proposed work and the relevance of that work to business-to-business marketing practice. For more information about the competition, email the ISBM at ISBM@psu.edu or visit our website  for current information.
Headquartered in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State, the ISBM has been supporting business-to-business marketing research and practice since 1983. Â To date, ISBM has supported 134Â doctoral students. Funding for this competition comes from the generous support of the ISBM Corporate Members.