| Research Paper of the Year

This award celebrates nominees who have advanced the theory, knowledge and practice of project management through a published academic paper.

To be eligible to enter this category the research paper must have been published (i.e. not online first or early cite) in a peer-reviewed journal in 2025. Blogs will not be accepted. To check a journal is peer reviewed search on the Master Journal List (this is not a definitive list, if you are unsure, please check with awards@apm.org.uk). A research paper can only be entered into this category once. Entrants can be members or non-members of APM, from both in and outside of the UK.

Entries should take the form of a 1,000-word personal statement OR 8-minute video (in English) addressing the criteria below, accompanied by the published research paper in pdf format.

View the finalists      Book your pass      Winners will be announced 29 April 2026

Congratulations and good luck to all our finalists...

This paper makes a significant contribution to project management by advancing the theoretical and practical understanding of strategic relationship management in inter-organisational projects.

Using four major UK infrastructure cases, it operationalises and extends a seven-dimensional framework grounded in Relational Exchange Theory, demonstrating that relational behaviours, rather than transactional mechanisms, drive effective partnering, and by extension lead to project success.

This is the first study to move beyond the traditional focus on trust and contracts, introducing a new dimension of knowledge that provides project professionals with comprehensive, practical guidance to develop, establish, and measure strategic relationships in complex project environments.

This paper tackles a critical paradox in modern project management: does normalising project failure actually drive product innovation? Using a rigorous three-wave and multi-source data from 181 new product development projects, we demonstrate that failure normalisation alone does not improve product innovativeness. Instead, innovation gains arise only when project leaders actively learn from project failure – the process we find is not automatic but contingent on their passion for inventing.

By clarifying why failure-tolerant cultures sometimes succeed and sometimes backfire, this research resolves long-standing inconsistencies in literature and provides evidence-based guidance for organisations seeking to convert project setbacks into product innovations.

Category criteria and weighting

Contribution to theory  25%

• Value to academia - The paper should have made significant contribution to project management theory.

Research methodology and methodological rigour  25%

• Appropriate use of research methodology to the research question under investigation.

Significance to practice  25%

• Potential for practical applicability or the research or the relevance of the research to project management practice.

Potential for impact  25%

• Demonstration of dissemination activities and potential impact.

Societal impact

Where you feel your work has delivered a societal impact, please include this in your submission. Think about what difference you've made outside of your own sphere of influence. This could be for example around the environment, society, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Judges will be putting forward relevant entries to our new Societal Impact Award.