University Research Excellence Awards

The University Research Excellence Career Award ($10,000) recognizes successful, currently active researchers with outstanding career achievements in research activity, publication record and scholarly impact.

Nominee must be UT Austin faculty (tenured or professional track) or permanent full-time research staff member with a current appointment at the time of nomination and award. UT students, postdocs, research associates, visitors and temporary staff are not eligible for this award.

The University Creative Endeavor Award ($6,000) recognizes distinct, exceptionally creative work with extraordinary impact and significance to the field of study performed by an established researcher. This award is not for lifetime achievement, but for a single contribution or a series of creative endeavors.

Nominee must be UT Austin faculty (tenured/tenure-track or professional track) and/or permanent full-time research staff with a current appointment at the time of nomination and award. UT students, postdocs, research associates, visitors and temporary staff are not eligible for this award.

Creative endeavors typically go beyond traditional research methods by incorporating elements of imagination, artistic expression and unconventional thinking. Creative endeavors often seek to generate new perspectives, challenge existing paradigms and produce outcomes that are not only intellectually rigorous but also contribute to the broader realms of creativity, culture and innovation.

Examples of creative endeavors might include merging technology and art to explore new forms of expression, incorporation of storytelling and narrative approaches in social science applications, exploring new sonic landscapes and challenging traditional notions of musical composition, using performative research methods to communicate and explore cultural phenomena and more. In essence, a creative endeavor is about pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking, embracing diverse perspectives and fostering innovation to create a richer and more dynamic understanding of the world.

The University Research Paper Excellence Award ($5,000) recognizes the outstanding scholarship and creativity UT faculty and full-time staff members show through peer-reviewed scholarly papers.

Nominations must be peer-reviewed scholarly papers published in the preceding academic year and authored by UT Austin faculty (tenured/tenure-track or professional track) and/or permanent full-time research staff with a current appointment at the time of nomination and award. The nominated author must be the first author of the nominated paper or if not, must confirm responsibility for specific aspects of the paper. The nominated paper must describe research or creative activity conducted by the author while employed by UT. UT students, postdocs, research associates, visitors and temporary staff are not eligible for this award.