[1] The award is given out annually for research that advances public interest communications around positive social change, including issues such as education, health, politics, and the environment.

[2] According to the website,[3] the prize "celebrates peer-reviewed research that informs the growing discipline of public interest communications".

After two rounds of independent review by a panel of scholars and practitioners, three awards are made each year with a top financial prize of $10,000.

[4][5] Recipients present their research at the annual Frank Scholar conference organized by the University of Florida.

Notable behavioral science scholars such as Paul Slovic and Dan Ariely have presented at the conference.