The prize was established and organized by National Economics Foundation. Every year, 10 excellent doctoral dissertations can win the prize of 100,000 RMB, which aims to encourage theoretical innovation and prosper economic science. Doctoral students on economics from schools in Mainland China, Hongkong, Macao and Taiwan can participate in the selection for the prize with their doctoral dissertations. The year 2017 is the second year for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis on Economics Research in China. Winning doctoral dissertations this year are selected from those of 2013-2016. Apart from Tan Lijia, other 9 winning contestants are from Peking University, Tsinghua University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and some other famous institutions.

Tan Lijia, enrolled in the year 2015, is a doctoral student on Western Economics with Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics. She has once been a visiting scholar at The University of Texas at Dallas. Her research areas include experimental economics, auction theory and behavioral operations management. She published papers during her doctoral study on Management Science and Pacific Economic Review, world-class journals on science of management. She also won “Provincial Outstanding Doctoral dissertation” in 2016.