Each year, the Spriestersbach Prize winners become the University of Iowa's nominees for the Council of Graduate Schools/University Microfilms International Distinguished Dissertation Award. This national award is the most prestigious dissertation prize in the country.

Iowa has five national winners, more than any public institution. Fifteen more Iowa nominees have been finalists in the competition.

	1984—David Lasocki Humanities & Fine Arts, Music Lasocki is a certified practitioner of Matrix Energetics for Instant Harmony.
	1993—Matthew Anderson Biological Sciences, Physiology Anderson is associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Harvard University.
	1997—Susan Behrends Frank Humanities & Fine Arts, Art History Frank is associate curator for research at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
	2007—Michael Chasar Humanities & Fine Arts, English Chasar is assistant professor of English at Willamette University in Salem, OR.
	2008—Jessica Horst Social Sciences, Psychology Horst is senior lecturer of psychology at the University of Sussex in England.