Awards and Funding Opportunities

Governing Society: American Association for the Advancement of Science, The (AAAS)

Description

Originally called the AAAS Thousand Dollar Prize, AAAS established this award in 1923 with funds donated anonymously by Newcomb Cleveland of New York City. Cleveland, a life member of AAAS, preferred to remain unnamed until his death in 1951. Initially, the prize went to an author or authors for a noteworthy paper, representing an outstanding contribution to science. In 1975, AAAS amended criteria for the prize to award the author or authors of an outstanding paper published in the Research Articles or Reports sections of Science. Note: No award given in 1942-1945, 1948, 1973, 1975, or 1976. The winner also receives reimbursement for reasonable travel and hotel expenses to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting.

Eligibility

An eligible paper is one that includes original research data, theory, or synthesis; is a fundamental contribution to basic knowledge or a technical achievement of far-reaching consequence; and is a first-time publication of the author's own work. self-nominations will not be accepted for the AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize

Nominations Open: April 15 | Nominations Close: June 30 | Awardees Announced: Feb | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: $25,000

Established in 1989, the Academic Leadership Program (ALP) develops leadership and administrative skills of academic administrators and faculty on Big 10 Academic Alliance campuses. The ALP is oriented to the challenges of academic administration at major research universities. It is designed to help current administrators to meet these challenges and to assist faculty interested in administration to gain a clearer understanding of academic leadership.

Governing Society: American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Description

Academy members include those who discover and advance knowledge and those who apply knowledge to the problems of society. More than 13,500 members have been elected since 1780.

Eligibility

To access nomination materials, please log in to the website as a member. Annually, Academy members receive a call for nominations. Each candidate for membership must have two nominators who are already members. The nominators must be from different institutions from each other, and at least one must be from the United States.

Nominations Open: N/A | Nominations Close: N/A | Awardees Announced: Apr | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: N/A

The Board of Regents Faculty Award was developed by the Council of University System Faculty (CUSF) in order to publicly recognize distinguished performance on the part of faculty members, and to place faculty achievements before the public on a regular basis. Eligible faculty includes all full-time faculty employed by the University of Maryland System, who have distinguished themselves in the areas of teaching, research and scholarship, and service.  One to three $2000 prizes in each of five areas are made to faculty members from research institutions in the areas of Teaching, Scholarship, Public Service (including K-12 programs and clinical practice), Mentoring, and Inter-institutional Collaboration. For additional information, contact the Faculty Affairs Office at (301) 405-6803.

Governing Society: Stanford University

Description

The Center offers a residential fellowship program for scholars working in a diverse range of disciplines that contribute to advancing research and thinking in social science. Fellows represent the core social and behavioral sciences (anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology) but also the humanities, education, linguistics, communications, and the biological, natural, health, and computer sciences. We are pleased to partner with several entities to provide funding for some residential fellowships whose research projects focus on certain topics. The three newest partner fellowship programs are the Berggruen, Mindset Scholars Network, and Stanford Cyber Initiative fellowships. CASBS is a collaborative environment that fosters the serendipity arising from unexpected intellectual encounters. We believe that cross-disciplinary interactions lead to beneficial transformations in thinking and research. We seek fellows who will be influential with, and open to influence by, their colleagues in the diverse multidisciplinary cohort we assemble for a given year.

Eligibility

The ideal candidate for a CASBS fellowship is a highly accomplished academic (relative to career stage) a major thinker whose work is consistently excellent, innovative, important, and influential. Specifically, the qualified applicant: Has a PhD, professional degree (e.g., JD, MD), an equivalent foreign degree, or has achieved an equivalent level of professional reputation. Is three to four years past the doctorate or equivalent degree. (CASBS does not offer post doctoral fellowships.) Is an academic faculty member or an independent scholar who exhibits a high level of achievement (adjusted for rank), including a strong record of research publications. Is engaged in significant lines of research in a field of the behavioral/social sciences, or does work in the natural sciences or humanities that has important human behavioral and social dimensions. Communicates clearly in English. Is someone who is very interested in participating in regular interdisciplinary conversations. Is willing to commit to being in residence for the course of the fellowship year without conflicting commitments. Although excellence in both research and accomplishments continues to be a necessary qualification for successful fellowship applicants, it is not a sufficient qualification. We seek fellows who will be both influential with, and open to influence by, their colleagues in the diverse multidisciplinary cohort we assemble for a given year. The primary focus of the fellowship year is on reflection and writing, but we expect the work to be informed and transformed by the fellowship experience as a result of interactions with other fellows. We encourage applications from minorities, women, international scholars, and scholars from a wide variety of colleges and universities.

Nominations Open: Aug | Nominations Close: Nov | Awardees Announced: Feb | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: N/A

The Graduate School's Creative and Performing Arts Awards (CAPAA) are offered to assistant, associate, or full professors. Applications are invited from faculty working in art, architecture, creative writing, theater, television, radio, dance, music, film, photography, and similar fields. Faculty awarded a Semester CAPAA will be released from teaching duties during the semester for which the award is granted. Faculty awarded a Summer CAPAA will receive a stipend of $9,000 for two months during the summer for which the award is granted. Awards are made with the understanding that the holder will relinquish the CAPAA if external support is received for the same project for the same period. Award recipients are strongly encouraged to involve a graduate student or students in the funded project in a mentoring relationship and to present methods and results of the funded project, during or immediately following the period of the award, in a forum or fora directed specifically to graduate students (e.g., a lecture, reading, colloquium, workshop, etc). Contact Robyn Kotzker with questions.

This program brings together department heads and chairs from Big Ten Academic Alliance universities for a unique leadership development seminar. This program addresses issues in academic administration ranging from conflict resolution and time management to faculty development, performance reviews, and group problem solving.

Honors annually 4-6 tenured faculty members who combine outstanding scholarship with teaching excellence. Selected by a committee of former DSTs based on dossiers containing curriculum vitae, teaching dossier, statement about how the nominee integrates research and teaching, external letters of support from distinguished scholars outside the university, and letters of support from current or past students. DSTs receive $5000 to support scholarly and instructional activities; they also deliver a public address and may participate in an Honors seminar. This year's Lecture Series will be available on the web. A call for nominations takes places at the beginning of each year's fall semester.

This formal title denotes an academic honor of highest distinction and is awarded to a limited number of our most accomplished professors. Nominees should be established scholars, held in the highest esteem by professional colleagues nationally and internationally, whose contributions have had a significant influence on their discipline and perhaps beyond. The title is accompanied by an annual honorarium of $5000 to support the awardee's professional activities. For more information contact the Faculty Affairs Office at (301) 405-6803.

This professorship is awarded for varying terms of up to three years. Candidates must have a superior record of achievement in an academic or professional discipline; must demonstrate the desire and ability to lead and inspire undergraduate and graduate students in the full range of learning situations; and must demonstrate evidence of significant enterprise at the University System of Maryland.

The Kirwan Center will award up to 10 Elkins SoTL Fellowships of $1,000 each for 2025-2026 (May 1, 2025-June 30, 2026) to support faculty-led research on teaching and learning. These fellowships support the systematic investigation of student learning, instruction, and teaching innovations, with the goal of contributing to our broader understanding of effective educational practices.

Key Details:

• Open to USM faculty of any rank or appointment
• Faculty must serve as principal investigator (PI); staff may serve as co-PI
• Projects should focus on improving student success through evidence-based course design and instructional decisions
• Fellowship period: May 1, 2025-June 30, 2026
• Application deadline: Friday, March 28, 2025

The President's Commission on Disability Issues sponsors awards to members of the university who have made significant contributions to improving the quality of life for disabled persons at the University of Maryland at College Park. Nominations are requested in late March or early April and the awards ceremony is held in early May. See the President's Commission on Disability Issues's webpage for additional description of the award, a nomination form and a listing of past winners.

In order to deepen UMD’s existing international connections, the Office of International Affairs (OIA) sponsors the Global Partnerships-Faculty Travel Grant Competition. Funds support one faculty member to travel to one or more existing UMD partner institutions to develop new collaborative projects and programs, or to improve the implementation of existing projects. Awards will be up to $5,000 per project, which may be applied to transportation, accommodations, food, and other travel-related expenses. Academic departments, colleges, or schools are required to supply an additional 20% of the amount of the grant request. Two calls for proposals are issued annually, with up to four grants awarded each round. For more information, contact Dr. Joseph Scholten at (301) 405-1559.

Governing Society: Stanford University

Description

Often characterized as ômidcareerö awards, Guggenheim Fellowships are intended for men and women who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. Fellowships are awarded through two annual competitions: one open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada, and the other open to citizens and permanent residents of Latin America and the Caribbean. Candidates must apply to the Guggenheim Foundation in order to be considered in either of these competitions. The Foundation receives between 3,500 and 4,000 applications each year. Although no one who applies is guaranteed success in the competition, there is no prescreening: all applications are reviewed. Approximately 200 Fellowships are awarded each year.

Eligibility

Persons who have already received a Guggenheim Fellowship are not eligible to apply for another. Guggenheim Fellowships are not available for the creation of residencies, curriculum development, or any type of educational program, nor are they available to support the development of websites or blogs. Our awards are intended for individuals only; they are not available to organizations, institutions, or groups. Guggenheim Fellowships are not open to students (undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate). We regret that our awards are not available to support the writing of literature for children or young readers. Anthology, oral history, e-book, or textbook projects are not supported by our awards. Published writing not regarded as appropriate for our competition includes self-published works, publications for which the author has paid, and publications by publishers who do not engage in a process of critical review of submitted work. In addition, genre work (e.g., mysteries, romance, fantasy, etc.) is considered not competitive. For all writers, if you have mainly published in periodicals, or on websites, it might be premature for you to apply here at this stage of your career, given the rigorous nature of our competition.

Nominations Open: August | Nominations Close: September | Awardees Announced: April | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: N/A

Governing Society: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

Description

HHMI catalyzes discovery science by investing in outstanding researchers with generous and flexible funding for significant periods of time. HHMI selects people, not projects. Our Investigators ask tough questions in science, even at the risk of failure. They develop new tools and methods that make it possible to ask previously unapproachable questions. Many forge links between biology and medicine. They are committed to mentoring and training the next generation of scientists.

With HHMI’s backing, scientists have radically changed our understanding of cells, the brain, the immune system, the development of organs, and the causes of human diseases. To date, 32 current or former HHMI Investigators have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

HHMI employs and supports more than 250 Investigators, who are based at over 60 universities, colleges, and other research institutions across the US. In addition to their research programs, HHMI Investigators participate in educational activities and hold leadership roles at these host institutions. With our backing, as well as support from other sources, Investigators direct a research team and create a lab environment well suited to tackling profound science questions.

Eligibility

General Eligibility Requirements
Although specific criteria may vary for each competition, in general:

Applicants must hold a PhD and/or MD.
Applicants must plan to perform research at one of over 200 eligible U.S. institutions.
Applicants must hold a position that represents substantial commitment by their institution, such as a tenure-track faculty position.
Applicants must have a track record of peer-reviewed funding.
Each competition defines a required length of post-training, professional experience prior to the application.
Each competition defines the breadth of scientific disciplines to be considered; however, most competitions are open to most biological and biomedical disciplines.

Nominations Open: October | Nominations Close: September | Awardees Announced: September | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: $9 million

Every year, the Office of Technology Commercialization honors one invention in each of the technology areas (information, life and physical sciences) as the "Invention of the Year" award winner. The inventions are nominated in each category and voted on by an independent panel of judges. Awards and a cash prize are presented to the inventors during an on-campus ceremony in April where members of the local business and government communities joining Maryland's faculty, staff, students and administrators to celebrate the University's research efforts.

Former University of Maryland President William E. Kirwan and Patricia Kirwan have established a fund to support two annual Prizes. The Kirwan Faculty Research and Scholarship Prize recognizes a faculty member for a highly significant work of research, scholarship, or artistic creativity completed in the recent past. The prize can be awarded for a publication, an invention, a performance, or any other activity within the faculty member's academic discipline. All current full-time tenure-track or tenured faculty are eligible. The prize carries an honorarium of $5000 and is awarded at the Fall Convocation. Apply here. Please direct questions about the award to Hana Kabashi at 301-405-4178 in the Division of Research. 

Former University of Maryland President William E. Kirwan and Patricia H. Kirwan have established a fund to support two annual prizes. The Kirwan Undergraduate Award recognizes faculty or staff who have made exceptional contributions to the quality of undergraduate education at the university. The prize carries an honorarium of $5000 and is awarded at the Campus Convocation each fall. Please direct questions about the award to Jackie Kautzer at 301-405-9354 in the Office of Undergraduate Studies. 

The President’s Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues has established an achievement award to annually recognize two ethnic minority faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to the University’s equity efforts. A nominee from the faculty must show accomplishment as a faculty member, and must have been active on campus and in the community on behalf of improving the status of ethnic minorities. Nominations are generally due in early April and awarded in May. Refer to the President's Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues webpage for information, a nomination packet and a list of past award recipients. 

Governing Society: National Academy of Engineering

Description

Members are elected to NAE membership by their peers (current NAE members). Election to membership is one of the highest professional honors accorded an engineer. Members have distinguished themselves in business and academic management, in technical positions, as university faculty, and as leaders in government and private engineering organizations. Individuals can not apply for membership in the NAE and, thus, there are no application forms for membership in the NAE. The procedures for nomination and election of member and foreign member candidates involve a search in all fields of engineering by present members of the NAE for outstanding individuals with identifiable contributions or accomplishments in one or both of the following categories: Engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature. Pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education or providing engineering leadership of major endeavors. A candidate for membership shall also be recognized by associates and others for professional integrity.

Eligibility

A candidate nomination for member (U.S. citizen) or foreign member (non-U.S. citizen) must be made by a member of the Academy, with supporting references from three additional active or emeritus Academy members. The call for nominations and reference support occurs between February and May; nomination packets are released only to members. Nominators and references are requested to maintain secrecy with regard to those being nominated for membership in the Academy. Peer committee reviews of nominees in various fields of engineering result in recommendations to the Committee on Membership for its consideration within guidelines established by the NAE Council. The final list of nominees is voted on by the entire membership of the NAE during the month of January with the results of the vote announced to the public in mid-February. The entire process is subject to strict confidentiality.

Nominations Open: February | Nominations Close: May | Awardees Announced: February | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: N/A

Governing Society: National Academy of Sciences

Description

Members are elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. The NAS membership totals approximately 2,250 members and nearly 440 foreign associates, of whom approximately 200 have received Nobel prizes

Eligibility

Because membership is achieved by election, there is no membership application process. Although many names are suggested informally, only Academy members may submit formal nominations. Consideration of a candidate begins with his or her nomination, followed by an extensive and careful vetting process that results in a final ballot at the Academy's annual meeting in April each year. Currently, a maximum of 84 members may be elected annually. Members must be U.S. citizens; non-citizens are elected as foreign associates, with a maximum of 21 elected annually.

Nominations Open: N/A | Nominations Close: N/A | Awardees Announced: May | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: N/A

Governing Society: National Academy of Sciences

Eligibility

The candidates eligible for the Physics Prize are those nominated by qualified persons who have received an invitation from the Nobel Committee to submit names for consideration. No one can nominate himself or herself.

Nominations Open: September | Nominations Close: January | Awardees Announced: October | Periodicity: Annual | Award Amount: $727,272

This award is the highest honor the campus community bestows. The recipient of this award is a member of the community with an exemplary record of sustained and acknowledged contribution to the quality of life on the campus. The candidate’s career must be distinguished by a dedication to the fulfillment of the University’s goals and mission, by professional accomplishments, and by campus service. Particular emphasis is placed on contributions that have had a wide-ranging and enhancing influence on the entire campus community. The deadline for nominations is typically in May.

The PTK Excellence Awards were established by the Provost to recognize professional track faculty members for consistently excellent contributions in core academic areas: teaching, research, and service. The award includes a $1,000 stipend and recognition from the Provost. 

The Graduate School's Research and Scholarship Awards (RASA) are available to assistant, associate, or full professors. Faculty awarded a Semester RASA will be released from teaching duties during the semester for which the award is granted. Faculty awarded a Summer RASA will receive a stipend of $9,000 for two months during the summer for which the award is granted. Awards are made with the understanding that the holder will relinquish the RASA if external support is received for the same project for the same period Award recipients are strongly encouraged to involve a graduate student or students in the funded project in a mentoring relationship and to present methods and results of the funded project, during or immediately following the period of the award, in a forum or fora directed specifically to graduate students (e.g., a lecture, reading, colloquium, workshop, etc.). Contact Robyn Kotzker with questions.

The Regents Professorship was established by the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland in order to recognize one or more faculty members whose record of scholarly achievement and potential for truly exceptional service to the System and its institutions warrants appointment to this most prestigious rank in the University System. Appointment to a Regents Professorship is made by the Chancellor upon recommendation by one or more of the Presidents of University System of Maryland institutions. A modest monetary award, to be used for travel, research or publication costs, or personnel and equipment costs, accompanies the appointment. Criteria for appointment include national or international recognition for achievements in the arts, the sciences or the professions, and eligibility for appointment to the rank of professor at one or more institutions of the University System. Regents Professors may participate in the advisement and/or instruction of undergraduate students; present an annual public lecture or performance at one of the institutions of the University System of Maryland; or participate in other scholarly activities that will enhance some aspects of the University System of Maryland and some of its components. This may include such activities as curriculum development (formal or informal courses), faculty development, citizen outreach, or organizational enhancement. For additional information, contact the Faculty Affairs Office at (301) 405-6803.

Each year the Office of Undergraduate Studies sponsors a faculty learning community that addresses an issue of importance to undergraduate education. Weekly meetings are led by the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center. The Undergraduate Studies Faculty Fellowship carries a $4,000 award in recognition of your contribution to improving undergraduate education, which may be applied to professional needs (e.g., course support, travel, research expenses, support for a graduate assistant, or other professional expenses) but may not be used for course buy outs. As a Fellow you will be asked to provide a departmental (FRS) account number and the name of your department’s business contact, for transfer of funds.

The President's Commission on Women's Issues (PCWI) established the Outstanding Woman of the Year Award in 1977. In 2017, the awards were renamed Women of Influence. The Women of Influence and Champions of Women Awards recognize members of our community who have distinguished themselves by working Fearlessly Forward with and for women on our campus and in our community.