H. George Frederickson AwardPMRA’s highest honor, named for the man who insisted public administration ask “for whom?” Before Frederickson, the field mostly asked whether government programs were efficient and economical. Frederickson, a key architect of the “New Public Administration” movement that emerged from the 1968 Minnowbrook Conference, added a third question that changed everything: for whom is this program actually working? That insistence on social equity as a core value of public service, laid out in his landmark book The Spirit of Public Administration, reshaped how generations of scholars and practitioners think about their obligations. This award carries his name because it honors the same thing he spent a career building: not one big idea, but a sustained body of work that moves the whole field forward. Nominations Closed for 2026Check back January 1, 2027 2026 Winner
J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Donald Moynihan
University of Michigan
The selection committee cited Professor Moynihan’s sustained intellectual contributions to the field’s core questions, his research on performance management, and his generative work on administrative burden. A past president of both PMRA and APPAM and co-director of the Better Government Lab, he has also invested deeply in the professional life of the field through mentorship, journal service, and his widely read Can We Still Govern? newsletter.
Eligibility & Application Process
Eligible nominees are scholars whose careers demonstrate influential written scholarship and meaningful professional service, including but not limited to journal leadership, association service, conference engagement, mentoring, and field development. Nominees must be current members of the Public Management Research Association (PMRA) or be willing to become members in order to receive the award. Nominators are expected to inform nominees of the nomination and confirm eligibility prior to submission. Nominations accepted January 1 through February 1, 2026. Nominations must include:
In the recommendation letter, please discuss: How the nominee's work has impacted the trajectory of scholarship in the field, including but not limited to:
How the nominee has made professional capital contributions, including but not limited to:
Letter writers are encouraged to consult with colleagues familiar with the nominee's scholarly and professional contributions so that multiple perspectives are represented. Assessment Criteria
Nominees are evaluated based on:
The Award Committee may also consider other individuals who, in its judgment, merit consideration. Award & Committee
The award will be presented at the 2026 Public Management Research Conference, June 4–6, 2026, at American University in Washington, D.C. A commemorative plaque is presented to the recipient. Sebawit Bishu, University of Washington
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