Graduate Student Research Award

The Graduate Student Research Award recognizes demonstrated excellence in research activities in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

The Award

Each year the college presents two Graduate Student Research Awards, one at the master's level and one at the doctorate level. Recipients receive a $1,000 personal award and a certificate of recognition.

Eligibility

The nominee must have been enrolled as a graduate student in good academic standing in the College of ACES the fall semester of the year prior to the nomination date. The nominee must have been involved in research for a minimum of one year (two semesters) or the equivalent in the current degree program.

A student who receives a Graduate Student Research Award as a master's student will be eligible for the Graduate Student Research Award as a doctoral candidate when the criteria are met. Recipients may receive the award only once per degree.

Nominations

Nominations are submitted by an appropriate departmental committee to the secretary of the Executive Committee using the online form. Each unit may submit one nominee for each of the two research awards (one M.S. nominee and one Ph.D. nominee). If the nominee is declared eligible by the unit head, the original and five copies of the supporting materials listed should be submitted. Supporting materials are consistent with campus award requirements.

All supporting materials must be Times New Roman 12-point font with 1-inch margins and include the following:

Biographical Information

Presented as a standard cover page signed by the nominator that includes the nominee's name, rank, department, years at UIUC, and signature of unit head verifying eligibility.

Contributions

A narrative statement presenting the case for the nominee, the research and scholarly activities of the nominee, their impacts, and other relevant information.
Research activities. The nominee should provide a complete description of specific research activities, including self-evaluation of specific involvement in the research.
A list of the nominee's publications, presentations, and contributions to graduate education.

Letters of Support

Letters of support from the graduate student's research adviser or someone directly involved in the student's research/graduate program.
Letters of support from two faculty members directly involved in the nominee's research activities or individuals having knowledge about the nominee's research activities. Supporting materials that deviate from these guidelines will be returned to the unit for revision.

Selection

Nominees will be evaluated and award recipients selected by a five-person selection committee appointed from the college faculty. The chair of the selection committee, in consultation with its members, shall develop guidelines for its operation. Nominations will be evaluated in terms of exceptional scholarly promise, taking the form of recent discovery and dissemination of new knowledge; the development of innovative technology, or the development of concepts that lead to significant advances in science or education; achievements directly related to the degree sought; and other scholarly contributions.

The selection committee may decide against granting an award if no meritorious candidate has been nominated. The selection committee shall submit its recommendations for recipients, plus one alternate, to the dean. The dean shall notify each recipient, the appropriate associate dean and department head, and the secretary of the Executive Committee.

All copies of the supporting materials must be returned to the dean's office by the chair of the selection committee at the completion of the selection process.