Prizes & Awards

Each year, IFA Australia offers various prizes and awards with varying topics and focus.


Richard Vann Essay Prize


Graham Hill IFA Research Prize


Gordon Cooper Memorial Lecture


IFA Global Research & Awards

Richard Vann Essay Prize

Submission Deadline: 30 May 2026.

The IFA Australia Richard Vann Prize is an annual essay prize offered in honour of the substantial and sustained contributions of Professor Richard Vann to the discipline of International Taxation and the International Fiscal Association (IFA). The prize encourages research and scholarship in the field of international taxation consistent with the objects of the International Fiscal Association. The winning applicant will receive AUD$5,000 plus one year’s free membership of IFA. This year the winner will also receive free registration to the IFA Melbourne Congress, to be held between 18-22 October 2026. See https://ifa2026melbourne.com/

Any Australian resident studying or practicing in the field of taxation may submit an essay on any area of international taxation, and there is no limit by reference to the age or seniority or experience of, or position held by the applicant. The selection process is made by a judging panel appointed from members of the Executive Committee of IFA Australia, and the criteria to be used will include significance and originality of contribution, clarity and focus of the methodology, theory or approach of the chosen topic, structure and logic of argument (including persuasiveness and practicality of argument), practical relevance and presentation.

The rules for this prize can be found here.

Formatting requirements

Please ensure that your essay submission is in a .doc or .docx file format, and is:


Essay Submission

Graham Hill IFA Research Prize

Justice Graham Hill was the president of the 2003 IFA Congress in Sydney and a leading figure in tax in Australia for more than 30 years. The Australian IFA branch in association with the Australasian Tax Teachers Association established a prize in his memory known as the Graham Hill IFA Research Prize. The Prize is offered in alternate years with the Gordon Cooper Memorial Lecture Sponsorship.

This year, the Justice Graham Hill IFA Research Prize will be offered in conjunction with the IFA Graduate Research Poster Programme.

https://www.ifa.nl/research-awards/poster-programme

Submission deadline: All required documents must be submitted by 28 February 2026 via e-mail to info@ifa.nl. The subject line of the application should clearly state the following: “IFA Poster Programme Application – [LLM or PhD] Category”.

The Poster Programme was initiated in 1993 to encourage students to study and discuss international tax matters. This initiative aims to introduce young academics and professionals to the IFA Network. Therefore, IFA expects them to become acquainted with the organisation, the scientific work and procedures of the association, so that they will be able to take an active part in IFA’s work in the future.

 Open to: The Programme is open to both LLM and PhD candidates in international taxation. Candidates must be writing a thesis or substantial research paper on a theoretical or practical issue in international taxation.

 Submission requirements: 

 Prize: Selected participants will attend the Annual IFA Congress free of registration fee*, present their posters at the Annual IFA Congress, receive a prize of EUR 500, one year of free IFA membership, and have their posters published on the Global IFA website.
*excluding the Congress dinner, if applicable. Travel and accommodation costs must be covered by the participant.

The Australian IFA branch will support with the Justice Graham Hill Prize for any Australian post graduate candidate (Masters by Research students as well as Doctoral students) accepted to the IFA Graduate Research Poster Programme. The offer includes return economy domestic airfares to Melbourne and a contribution towards accommodation costs.

Application is open to all Masters by Research students as well as Doctoral students enrolled at Australian Universities working in subjects that have an international or comparative tax dimension. Applicants will have made progress on their thesis at least to the point that they have a detailed thesis proposal and have written at least one full chapter.

Gordon Cooper Memorial Lecture

IFA Australian branch provides occasional funding for a Memorial lecture at the Australasian Tax Teachers Association conference in honour of Mr Gordon Cooper, who was both a Chair and leader of IFA Australian branch for many years and the Patron of the Australasian Tax Teachers Association for many years, and in memory of Gordon’s Cooper’s passing in 2017. In both roles, Gordon Cooper generously provided his time, insights and leadership in supporting international tax in Australia and developing the next generation of tax researchers. The funding is to support travel expenses of a prominent national or international speaker for the ATTA conference.

IFA Global Research & Awards

IFA Global also supports various awards each year. These awards vary in topic and focus and have different eligibility requirements.

The Mitchell B. Carroll Prize is a tribute to IFA’s first Honorary President, Mitchell B. Carroll. This annual award is open to participants under 40 years of age and is awarded for work on international fiscal law, comparative tax law, or local tax law having an important relation with fiscal law in foreign jurisdictions.

The IFA President YIN Scientific Award was launched in 2014 and is open to Young IFA Network members under the age of 35 years. The Award is awarded for an article published in a qualified medium and furthers understanding of international fiscal law or comparative tax law, providing practical solutions to problems arising in cross-border transactions or situations.

The Maurice Lauré Prize is named in hour of Maurice Lauré, who was instrumental in the first implementation of the Value Added tax system, now applied in more than 160 jurisdictions. The Prize is open to all participants under 40 years and is awarded on papers on international indirect taxation.

There are also various research programmes supported by IFA Global. The current list which can be found here.