A 500 Euro prize for the best new research on the personal influence model of public relations will be awarded at the 2008 EUPRERA (European Public Relations Education and Research Association) World Congress. The Congress will be held in Milano, Italy from October 16-18, 2008, organized by FERPI (Italian Federation of Public Relations) and IULM University.

The call for papers requires submission of abstracts by January 31, 2008. Any accepted paper that explicitly addresses the personal influence model in the context of the Congress theme, "Institutionalizing Public Relations and Corporate Communications," will be eligible for the prize.

The personal influence model describes the predominant use of relationships with strategic individuals to achieve public relations objectives as the major factor in a professional's contribution to the organization. This model appears worldwide in practice, but there is little research-based knowledge about it. EUPRERA and the Institute for Public Relations also hope the new prize will further stimulate cooperation between the key US and European organizations dedicated to PR research and education, and between scholars and professionals as well.