Internal Grants & Awards

Competitive Internal Awards

UGA recognizes its accomplished faculty, postdoctoral staff, recent graduates of the Graduate School and current graduate students with a series of awards that celebrate outstanding research and creative achievement, as well as inventorship and entrepreneurship. Winners are formally announced each spring at the annual UGA Research Awards Banquet.

Faculty Research Award nominations are made by Deans or Center/Institute Directors. Please check with your Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for internal procedures and deadline.

For details on faculty honors and awards administered by other campus units, please visit the UGA Provost’s Office website.

Want some tips on successful nominations? Check out the video at the bottom of this page.

Faculty Research Awards

UGA’s Faculty Research Awards offer progressive honors beginning with early career and mid-level faculty and culminating in the Distinguished Research Professorship.

NON-TENURE TRACK FACULTY RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD

Contact for questions: Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research –  ovprip@uga.edu. Click here for a PDF printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • These awards recognize exceptional research productivity and commitment to excellence by a non-tenure track faculty member. Nominations should clearly describe the research novelty and impact on the field of study, and should focus on work completed while in a faculty position at UGA.
  • Prize: $2,000
  • Eligibility: Any full-time, active faculty member holding a non-tenure track faculty title at UGA for more than three years.

Nomination Process

  • Nominations are first submitted to the nominee’s Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for initial review. Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors then submit nominations to the Office of Research.
  • Deans/Directors are strongly encouraged to solicit a pool of nominations that represent the full scope of their faculty and forward only their most qualified candidates to the Office of Research.
  • Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors will submit their nominations via UGA’s InfoReady Portal using the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Research Excellence Award nomination form.
  • Final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research from Deans’ offices or Centers/Institutes by November 1st. Contact your Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for internal submission deadlines.

Nomination Materials

  • The following nomination materials are required via the submission site:
  • Dean/Director nomination letter (≤3 pages) to include:
    • Nominee name, rank, and date of faculty appointment at UGA,
    • Name of award and discipline area for which the nomination is being submitted,
    • Clear non-technical description of the specific project that is the basis of the nomination and its impact on the field.
  • Three letters of recommendation (≤3 pages each)
    • Do not submit additional letters.
    • At least 2 letters must be from external referees, exclusive of former mentors.
  • Brief bios (≤1 page total) of the 3 required referees, demonstrating suitability for evaluation of the nominee.
  • Nominee’s curriculum vitae (recommended format: UGA P&T guide Appendix H; teaching details may be omitted).

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a discipline-specific committee of faculty.
  • Recommendations are provided to the Vice President for Research who makes the final selections.

EARLY CAREER SCHOLAR AWARDS

Contact for questions:  Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research – ovprip@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • Early Career Scholar Awards recognize the scholarly achievements of junior faculty whose research, creative activities, and scholarly achievements indicate an aggressive trajectory toward an exceptional, sustained research career and an imminent rise to international stature in the field of study. Nominations should clearly describe the quality and promise of the work and the evidence that the quality and quantity of research productivity will continue to rise as the nominee’s career progresses.
  • Awards are given annually in different discipline areas and are named in honor of three past UGA presidents: Michael F. Adams, Fred C. Davison Award and Charles B. Knapp.
  • Prize: $2,000
  • Eligibility: Assistant Professors (tenure-track) who have been in residence at UGA for at least three years.

Nomination Process

  • Nominations are first submitted to the nominee’s Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for initial review. Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors then submit nominations to the Office of Research.
  • Deans/Directors are strongly encouraged to solicit a pool of nominations that represent the full scope of their faculty and forward only their most qualified candidates to the Office of Research.
  • Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors will submit their nominations via UGA’s InfoReady Portal using the Early Career Scholar Nomination Form.
  • The final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research from Deans’ offices or Centers/Institutes by November 1st. Contact your Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for internal submission deadlines.  

Nomination Materials

  • The following nomination materials are required via the submission site:
  1. Dean/Director nomination letter (≤3 pages) to include:
    • Nominee name, rank, and date of faculty appointment at UGA,
    • Name of award and discipline area for which the nomination is being submitted,
    • Summary of nominee’s qualifications, including specific examples of how they meet the criteria for this award. Evidence will vary by discipline but may include publications, performances, inventions, awards, etc.
    • If the nominee received the terminal degree more than 10 years prior to the nomination, the dean/director should explain why the nominee should be considered an Early Career Scholar.
  2. Three letters of recommendation (≤3 pages each)
    • Do not submit additional letters.
    • At least 2 letters must be from external referees, exclusive of former mentors.
    • Must be dated within the past 2 years (as of application deadline) and specifically address qualifications for the Early Career Scholar Award.
  3. Brief bios (≤1 page total) of the 3 required referees, demonstrating suitability for evaluation of the nominee.
  4. Nominee’s curriculum vitae in the recommended vita format described in the UGA P&T guide (Appendix H). Teaching details may be omitted.

 Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a discipline-specific committee of faculty.
  • Recommendations are provided to the Vice President for Research who makes final selections.

CREATIVE RESEARCH MEDALS

Contact for questions:  Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research – ovprip@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • These medals recognize a distinct, exceptional research/creative project with extraordinary impact and significance to the field of study performed by a mid-career faculty member. Nominations should clearly describe the specific project being nominated and its impact on the field. *The Creative Research Medal should not be considered a “stepping stone” or prerequisite to the Creative Research Award, which recognizes a complete body of work rather than a discrete project.
  • Medals are given annually in different disciplines.
  • Prize: $1,500
  • Eligibility: 1) Associate professors or 2) full professors within 3 years of promotion.  Must be tenured and have been in residence at UGA for at least three years.

Nomination Process

  • Nominations are first submitted to the nominee’s Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for initial review. Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors then submit nominations to the Office of Research.
  • Deans/Directors are strongly encouraged to solicit a pool of nominations that represent the full scope of their faculty and forward only their most qualified candidates to the Office of Research.
  • Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors will submit their nominations via UGA’s InfoReady Portal using the Creative Research Medal Nomination Form.
  • Final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research from Deans’ offices or Centers/Institutes by November 1st. Contact your Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for internal submission deadlines.

Nomination Materials

  • The following nomination materials are required via the submission site:
  • Dean/Director nomination letter (≤3 pages) to include:
    • Nominee name, rank, and date of faculty appointment at UGA,
    • Name of award and discipline area for which the nomination is being submitted,
    • Clear non-technical description of the specific project that is the basis of the nomination and its impact on the field.
  • Three letters of recommendation (≤3 pages each)
    • Do not submit additional letters.
    • At least 2 letters must be from external referees, exclusive of former mentors.
    • Must be dated within the past 2 years (as of application deadline) and specifically address qualifications for the Creative Research Medal.
  • Brief bios (≤1 page total) of the 3 required referees, demonstrating suitability for evaluation of the nominee.
  • Nominee’s curriculum vitae in the recommended vita format described in the UGA P&T guide (Appendix H). Teaching details may be omitted.

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a discipline-specific committee of faculty.
  • Recommendations are provided to the Vice President for Research who makes the final selections.

CREATIVE RESEARCH AWARDS

Contact for questions:  Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research – ovprip@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • Creative Research Awards recognize an established investigator whose research/creative accomplishments at UGA and overall scholarly body of work have had a major impact on the field of study and have established the investigator’s international reputation as a leader in the field. Nominations should clearly describe the scope and significance of the investigator’s work, how this contribution has influenced the field of study, and evidence of the nominee’s status as an internationally respected scholar in the field.
  • Awards are given annually in different discipline areas and are named in honor of three renowned UGA professors: Albert Christ-Janer, Lamar Dodd and William A. Owens.
  • Prize: $2,500 and artwork
  • Eligibility: Associate professors and full professors (tenure-track) who have been in residence at UGA for at least three years.

Nomination Process

  • Nominations are first submitted to the nominee’s Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for initial review. Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors then submit nominations to the Office of Research.
  • Deans/Directors are strongly encouraged to solicit a pool of nominations that represent the full scope of their faculty and forward only their most qualified candidates to the Office of Research.
  • Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors will submit their nominations via UGA’s InfoReady Portal using the Creative Research Award Nomination Form.
  • Final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research from Deans’ offices or Centers/Institutes by November 1st. Contact your Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for internal submission deadlines.

Nomination Materials

  • The following nomination materials are required via the submission site:
  1. Dean/Director nomination letter (≤3 pages) to include:
    • Nominee name, rank, and date of faculty appointment at UGA,
    • Name of award and discipline area for which the nomination is being submitted,
    • Summary of nominee’s qualifications, including specific examples of how they meet the criteria for this award. Evidence will vary by discipline but may include publications, performances, inventions, awards, etc.
  2. Three letters of recommendation (≤3 pages each)
    • Do not submit additional letters.
    • At least 2 letters must be from external referees, exclusive of former mentors.
    • Must be dated within the past 2 years (as of application deadline) and specifically address qualifications for the Creative Research Award.
  3. Brief bios (≤1 page total) of the 3 required referees, demonstrating suitability for evaluation of the nominee.
  4. Nominee’s curriculum vitae in the recommended vita format described in the UGA P&T guide (Appendix H). Teaching details may be omitted.

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a discipline-specific committee of faculty.
  • Recommendations are provided to the vice president for research who makes the final selections.

DISTINGUISHED RESEARCH PROFESSORSHIP

 

Contact for questions:  Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research – ovprip@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description

  • The title of Distinguished Research Professor recognizes senior faculty who are internationally recognized for their innovative body of work and its transformational impact on the field. The Professorship is awarded to faculty working at the very top of their discipline, who are recognized as a preeminent leader in their field of study. Nominations should clearly describe the evidence of prominence and impact of the nominee’s work, as well as the promise of ongoing and future scholarly work.
  • Up to 5 faculty are recognized annually without specification of discipline.
  • Prize: $7,000 one-time, permanent salary increase; $5,000 per year for 5 years in research support
  • Title: Title of Distinguished Research Professor is given to each winner for an initial period of 5 years
  • Eligibility: Full Professors who have been in residence at UGA for at least 3 years. Preference may be given to nominees not already holding major endowed professorships with significant research support.

 Nomination Process

  • Nominations are first submitted to the nominee’s Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for initial review. Deans’ offices or Center/Institute Directors then submit nominations to the Office of Research.
  • Deans/Directors are strongly encouraged to solicit a pool of nominations that represent the full scope of their faculty and forward only their most qualified candidates to the Office of Research.
  • Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors will submit their nominations via UGA’s InfoReady Portal using the Distinguished Research Professor Nomination Form.
  • Final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research from Deans’ offices or Centers/Institutes by November 1st. Contact your Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for internal submission deadlines.

Nomination Materials

  • The following nomination materials are required via the submission site:
  1. Dean/Director nomination letter (≤4 pages) to include:
    • Nominee name, rank, and date of faculty appointment at UGA,
    • Name of award,
    • Summary of nominee’s qualifications, including specific examples of how they meet the criteria for this award. Evidence will vary by discipline but may include publications, performances, inventions, awards, etc.
    • As these awards are reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee, it is essential that the nomination letter convey the broad impact of the nominee’s work. Nominations should also describe the extramural funding requirements and expectations in the field of study to provide context for the nominee’s history and level of grant support.
  2. Three external letters of recommendation (≤3 pages each).
    • Do not submit additional letters.
    • Letters from collaborators and former mentors are discouraged.
    • Must be dated within the past 2 years (as of application deadline) and specifically address qualifications for the Distinguished Research Professorship.
  3. Brief bios (≤1 page total) of the 3 required referees, demonstrating suitability for evaluation of the nominee.
  4. Nominee’s curriculum vitae in the recommended vita format described in the UGA P&T guide (Appendix H). Teaching details may be omitted.

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a multidisciplinary committee of senior faculty.
    • Up to 5 nominees are selected.
  • Recommendations are provided to the Vice President of Research, who forwards his recommendations to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; final selections are made in conjunction with the President.

 

RETENTION OF DISTINGUISHED RESEARCH PROFESSOR TITLE

 Eligibility and Required Materials:

  • The Distinguished Research Professor title can be held until retirement or resignation from the professorial ranks; rehired retirees and emeritus faculty are ineligible for retention of title.
  • In the 5th year of the awarded title, recipients may apply for retention of title for an additional 5 years.
    • No additional salary increase or research support is provided.
    • Retention of title dossiers are assessed for merit and are not subject to a quota.
  • To be nominated for retention of title, collect the following materials:
    1. Dean/Director endorsement letter (≤3 pages) to include:
      • Nominee name and date of previous DRP appointment/reappointment
      • Summary of evidence of nominee’s continued excellence in research or creative activity
    2. Nominee’s curriculum vitae
  • Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors will submit nominations via the UGA InfoReady submission portal using the Distinguished Research Professor Retention of Title Nomination Form for Dean’s Offices & C/I Directors.
  • Final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research from Deans’ offices or Centers/Institutes by November 1st.

 

RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS AWARD

 

Program contact: michael.terrazas@uga.edu; InfoReady questions contact: ovprip@uga.edu

Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • The Research Communications Award recognizes outstanding personal effort in promoting impact and significance of research activity to audiences both outside and inside the university, defined as:
    • Personal, proactive external-facing communications activities
      • Social media presence & following
      • Interaction with news media
      • Other external outreach activity (community, professional conferences, etc.)
    • Collaboration with unit/UGA communicators
      • Proactive notifications of research publications/activity
      • Availability & timeliness in response
      • Cooperation with unit communications staff
    • Prize: $2,000
    • Eligibility: Full-time UGA faculty

Nomination Process

  • Nominations are first submitted to the nominee’s Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for initial review. Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors then submit nominations to the Office of Research.
  • Deans/Directors are strongly encouraged to solicit a pool of nominations that represent the full scope of their faculty and forward only their most qualified candidates to the Office of Research.
  • Deans’ offices and Center/Institute Directors will submit their nominations via UGA’s InfoReady Portal using the Research Communications Award Nomination Form.
  • Final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research from Deans’ offices or Centers/Institutes by November 1st. Contact your Dean’s office or Center/Institute Director for internal submission deadlines.

Nomination Materials

  • The following nomination materials are required via the submission site:
  1. Dean/Director nomination letter (≤3 pages) to include:
    • Nominee name, rank, and date of appointment at UGA,
    • Summary of nominee’s qualifications and how they meet the criteria for this award.
  2. Summary of communications-related activities and evidence of their impact, which may include but are not limited to the following (2-page limit):
    • Links to and/or summaries of external media engagement (including both coverage of individual research and public commentary)
    • Social media activity and follower/engagement metrics
    • Public speaking engagements
    • Community engagement & visibility
    • Other public-facing activities
  3. Nominee’s curriculum vitae.

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a committee of UGA communications professionals, faculty and administrators
  • Recommendations are provided to the vice president for research who makes the final selections.

Faculty Team Awards

TEAM IMPACT AWARD

Contact for questions:  Integrative Team Initiatives, Office of Research – research-teams@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • The Team Impact Award recognizes the critical contributions made by crosscutting teams in addressing today’s complex challenges. Specifically, the award recognizes a team for excellence in innovative and impactful scholarship that either has or soon promises to fundamentally advance knowledge, understanding, and/or applications in ways not achievable by individual investigators or single disciplinary approaches alone.
  • Prize: The winning team will receive $5,000 for application in its research program.
  • Eligible teams can be comprised of any disciplines, but must be composed of at least three distinct disciplines or subdisciplines.
  • Eligible teams must be comprised of independent faculty each providing complementary interdisciplinary or subdisciplinary expertise, and each of whom has made separate substantive and discrete contributions in a novel manner to the project being recognized.
  • Team members may belong to other organizations including academic institutions, and public or private sectors; however, the team must be led by a full-time UGA faculty member and the majority of team members must be from UGA.

 

Nomination Process

  • The nomination letter must be from a UGA faculty member or administrator that is not a member of the team. Teams are encouraged to initiate discussions with potential nominators.
  • Nominations will be submitted by the Team Leader through UGA’s InfoReady Portal via the Team Impact Award Nomination Form.
  • Final nominations must be submitted to the Office of Research via the UGA InfoReady site by November 1st.

Nomination Materials

  • All submissions must include the following:
    1. A 2- 3 sentence explanation/description of the team’s work and its impact suitable for the general public. (Form field)
    2. Nomination letter (maximum of three pages) which comprehensively describes the candidate team’s novel and significant work that has had, or is demonstrably on the path to leading to far-reaching impact. The letter must specifically outline the team’s work and substantive impact and emphasize specific features of the team’s efforts that represent innovative, high-functioning teamwork and synergy, and how these features have advanced both the project and their respective field(s).  The letter must clearly show how the integrative team efforts have resulted in outcomes much greater than the sum of those achievable from their individual contributions alone. Documentation that directly supports the mentioned accomplishments must be referenced. (UPLOAD)
    3. A list of all members of the team and their professional titles, affiliations and a description of each member’s role and what specific, enabling expertise they bring to the team and how their collaboration has enabled the team’s success (no more than 150 words for each member). Use the Excel template found here (and also found in the right-hand menu of the InfoReady submission form). (UPLOAD)
    4. Supporting documents, i.e., publications, brochures, examples of innovative teamwork or synergy, etc. (maximum of 5 pages total). (UPLOAD)

 Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee of faculty.
  • Recommendations are provided to the vice president for research who makes the final selection.

Innovation Awards

The Inventor of the Year Award recognizes a discovery by a University of Georgia faculty inventor.

  • Target. Inventors, plant breeders, and other technology creators
  • Award Details. One award per year to a qualified applicant
  • Eligibility. Current, former, or emeritus faculty members
  • Prize. Engraved crystal award
  • Selection Process.  By Innovation Gateway
  • Program Contact: Innovation Gateway – gateway@uga.edu

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes the entrepreneurial achievements of a University of Georgia Faculty Founder.

  • Target. Faculty who have started a company to bring UGA innovations into the marketplace
  • Award Details. One award per year to a qualified applicant
  • Eligibility. Current, former, or emeritus faculty members who have started a company based on research originated at UGA
  • Prize. Engraved crystal award
  • Selection Process.  By Innovation Gateway
  • Program Contact: Innovation Gateway – gateway@uga.edu

REGENTS’ ENTREPRENEUR DESIGNATION

Program Contact: Innovation Gateway – gateway@uga.edu; InfoReady questions contact: ovprip@uga.edu

Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description

  • The title of Regents’ Entrepreneur recognizes outstanding faculty members with an established reputation as an innovator and who have demonstrated success in translating their research into a commercial Nominations should provide clear evidence of the prominence and impact of the nominee’s innovative research and document commercialization success.
  • Prize: $10,000 one-time cash award
  • Eligibility:
    • Full-time, active tenured faculty who have been in residence at UGA for at least 3
    • Demonstrated success in commercializing University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF)- owned intellectual property.
    • Preference for engagement and service in the University of Georgia and state/local innovation ecosystem (e.g., mentorship, program participation).
    • Preference for innovation and commercialization activities that have made measurable impact, e.g., securing investment funding, job creation, new products reaching the market.
    • Preference for impacts within the State of Georgia.

Nomination Process

Nomination Materials

The following nomination materials are required via the submission site:

  1. Unit head (dean, department head, center/institute director, or Vice President) nomination letter (maximum 2 pages) to include:
    1. Nominee name, rank, and date of faculty appointment at UGA,
    2. Summary of nominee’s qualifications, with specific examples of how they meet the award criteria including:
      1. Measurable impact, e.g., securing investment funding, job creation, annual sales revenue, number of new products reaching the market
      2. Impact within the State of Georgia
      3. Engagement in UGA/local/state innovation ecosystem
  2. Summary of innovation activity by the nominee, highlighting commercialization success (1 page)
  3. Nominee’s curriculum Teaching details may be omitted.

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a multidisciplinary committee of UGA faculty and Innovation
  • Recommendations are reviewed by the Vice President of Research, and final selections are made in conjunction with the President and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, subject to final approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.

Postdoctoral Scholars

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH AWARD

Contact for questions:  Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research – ovprip@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • In recognition of the integral role and remarkable contributions that postdoctoral research scholars make to the UGA research enterprise, awards will recognize research accomplishments from work performed in a UGA postdoctoral position
  • Up to two awards given annually
  • Prize: $2,000
  • Nominees must occupy a UGA Postdoctoral Research/Research & Teaching Associate, Fellow, or Fellow Adjunct position at the time of nomination for this award
  • Research contributions recognized by the award must have resulted from research performed during this UGA appointment and must have resulted predominantly from efforts by the nominee

Nomination Procedures

Required Nomination Materials

  • Cover letter from the department head, dean or center/institute director supporting the nomination
  • Letter of nomination from the scholar’s faculty mentor (3 pp max) to include:
    • Scope and difficulty of the research, degree of innovation and independent thought and development of new ideas, techniques and methodology
    • Any sort of recognition that the nominee has garnered for this research accomplishment (e.g., invited contributions, publication in top journals, obtaining grants/fellowships, other awards)
  • Nominee’s description of the research upon which the nomination is based, including citations to resulting published work or presentations (2 pp max)
  • Nominee’s current curriculum vitae. Important CV instructions: Do not include manuscripts in preparation or under revision. Clearly distinguish publications that arose from postdoctoral work at UGA from publications pertaining to previous work. (4 pp max)

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a committee of faculty.
  • Recommendations are provided to the vice president for research, who makes the final selections.
  • The review committee will look for originality, creativity, and significance of the research accomplishment. Factors to be considered will also include the scope and difficulty of the research, degree of innovation and independent thought, and development of new ideas, techniques and methodology.
  • It is advised that nomination packets (i) describe postdoc’s individual contributions; (ii) clarify any possible misunderstandings about where the work was performed; (iii) describe how work is innovative compared with other methods already in use elsewhere; (iv) describe the work’s novel conceptual contributions.
  • It is important that nominations be submitted in language understandable to faculty in other disciplines and that nominations discuss how the research accomplishments and recognition compare to average outcomes inside the discipline.

Graduate Students

ROBERT C. ANDERSON MEMORIAL AWARD

Contact for questions:  Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research – ovprip@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • As a memorial to Dr. Robert C. Anderson, former Vice President for Research and President of the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., two awards to recent graduates of the University of Georgia Graduate School are made annually. Usually, although not necessarily, one award is made in the natural sciences and one in any other field.
  • This award reflects an outstanding record of research accomplishment carried out as part of a candidate’s graduate studies and during the period immediately following receipt of the terminal degree.
  • Prize: $1,000
  • Eligibility: University of Georgia graduate students who have received their terminal degree no more than two years prior to the award year are eligible for nomination. For example, anyone that has already graduated in 2022 or 2023 is eligible to be nominated in the November 2023 deadline.

Nomination Procedures

Required Nomination Materials

  • Cover letter from nominee’s major professor and graduate coordinator. This letter should make it clear and understandable to a non-expert committee why the work is deserving of recognition.
  • Nominee’s current curriculum vitae (10 pp max). Important CV instructions: Clearly indicate which publications are a product of research based at UGA.
  • Evidence of accomplishment (5 pp max)
  • Three letters of recommendation (with at least one from outside the University of Georgia) that speak to the significance of the nominee’s accomplishments

Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a committee of faculty. Recommendations are provided to the vice president for research, who makes the final selections.
  • The selection committee will look for originality, creativity and productivity. Factors to be considered will also include the scope and difficulty of the research, degree of innovation and independent thought, development of new ideas, techniques and methodology, and the significance of the candidate’s research to his or her field.
  • The material submitted to the selection committee must permit the committee, after selection of the awardees, to convey the significance of the research to the public and make apparent to scholars the excellence of the research accomplishments.

JAMES L. CARMON SCHOLARSHIP

Contact for questions:  Internal Grants & Awards, Office of Research – ovprip@uga.edu.  Click here for a printer-friendly version of these guidelines.

 

Award Description and Eligibility

  • An academic year scholarship awarded to a graduate student whose dissertation/thesis research reflects state-of-the-art utilization of computer and/or networking technology in the sciences or creative arts. The scholarship is intended to support the recipient’s education at UGA.
  • In memory of Dr. James L. Carmon, a UGA faculty member for 36 years, who helped advance computer research and development at the university.
  • Prize: $4,000 scholarship
  • Eligibility: Full-time graduate students in good standing will be considered. The recipient must have completed two semesters of graduate school and have selected a thesis/dissertation research project at the time of application.

Nomination Procedures

Required Nomination Materials

  1. Nomination abstract constructed as follows: 1) Summary statement of project in layperson terms (1-2 sentences); 2) Succinctly describe the computational aspects of the research and how they go beyond the state-of-the-art in computer or networking technologies (1-3 sentences); 3) Succinctly describe the significance to both the field specifically and society in general (1-3 sentences).
  2. A letter of nomination from the departmental graduate coordinator.
  3. Brief description of thesis/dissertation research. Each candidate will write a one- to two-page description of his/her proposed thesis or dissertation research that should clearly identify the innovative computational use involved and must explain why it is particularly innovative in the applicant’s field. Candidates need to make their proposal clear to a large audience of non-experts in the field. Important: The review committee is comprised of members with broad expertise so applicants need to explain their research in layperson terms that those outside the field will understand.
  4. Two letters of recommendation.  One of these letters should be from the research director committing the resources to complete the proposed research (2-page max).
  5. Nominee’s curriculum vitae
  6. Graduate transcripts. Copies/unofficial accepted. (Uploaded separately in the submission form.)

 

 Evaluation and Selection Process

  • Nomination packages are reviewed by a committee of faculty.
  • The selection committee will look for originality, creativity and productivity. Factors to be considered will also include the scope and difficulty of the research, degree of innovation and independent thought, development of new ideas, techniques and methodology, and the significance of the candidate’s research to his or her field.
  • In particular, a novel application of hardware/software or significant design/ development of software/hardware are both equally valued and given much greater emphasis than a conventional use of off-the-shelf products.
  • Preference is given to applicants who are beginning their core thesis/dissertation work and have adequate background or previous relevant experience to conduct their research.

ARCS® Foundation is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization started and run entirely by women who boost American leadership and aid advancement in science and technology. To address the country’s need for new scientists and engineers, they provide unrestricted funding to help the country’s brightest PhD students create new knowledge and innovative technologies. To learn more about the ARCS Foundation, go to arcsfoundation.org.

In 2000, UGA became a nominating institution of the ARCS Foundation.  Every spring The Office of Research, in conjunction with the ARCS Foundation – Atlanta Chapter, invite faculty mentoring PhD students pursuing degrees in science, engineering, and medical research who excel in science communication to nominate their most promising students for this prestigious award.

Click here for application information and a list of ARCS Scholars.

For any questions or assistance in the application/nomination process, please contact:

Abigail Butcher
Award Coordinator
abutcher@uga.edu
706-542-5922

These honors are administered by the UGA Graduate School, which provides detailed information with respect to eligibility, selection and prizes, as well as the application process.

Program Contact: UGA Graduate School, Elizabeth Lovern – blovern@uga.edu