Main ContentResearch Excellence Awards
The Research Excellence Awards are designed to recognize investigators who have been successful in attracting extramural funding for their research program and who meet the qualifications detailed below. Recipients receive an inscribed framed medallion and recognition at a ceremony held annually, as well as financial awards based on their threshold of funding.
Qualifications and guidelines
To be eligible for this program, projects must meet the following requirements:
- Extramurally funded research
- Aim to add to the general common body of scientific knowledge by answering a clearly defined research question(s) and/or hypothesis(es) using a relevant standard research design (e.g., experimental, observational, qualitative)
- Results of the project should have potential for publication in a peer-reviewed research journal
- Be the investigator's "good idea" (e.g., not industry-initiated, change of PI, etc.)
Sponsored programs for patient care or education purposes and industry-initiated studies are not eligible under this program. For project with multiple PIs, the credit allocated to each PI will follow the business plan submitted to the OSP as approved by the PIs and their chairs at proposal submission. Any changes proposed after that time must be approved by the PIs, their chairs, and the OSP. See Examples of Eligible and Ineligible Projects.
The following four levels of awards are issued based on the total amount of extramural funding received by the investigator for his/her research:
| Level | Extramural Funding Received | Award |
| Bronze | $250,000 | $2,500 in unrestricted account |
| Silver | $500,000 | $5,000 in unrestricted account or cash award |
| Gold | $1,000,000 | $10,000 in unrestricted account or cash award |
| Platinum | $5,000,000 | $10,000 each year for 5 years in unrestricted account or cash award |
The Office of Sponsored Programs reviews all awards for eligibility upon issuance. Credit is tabulated based on the funding as it is received for each period, rather than on anticipated award totals for an entire project.
Questions about the Research Excellence Awards should be directed to Whitney Bondurant, pre-award director.