• a concise letter of nomination including the qualifications of the nominee, an award citation from the institution’s President, as well as contact information for the nominee,
• a comprehensive and up-to-date curriculum vitæ or biographical sketch of the nominee, and
• up to three (3) letters of endorsement (limited to two (2) pages each) sent on behalf of the nominee. Letters from outside the nominee’s institution are particularly desirable.

Nominations should be submitted by the SURA member institution representatives in electronic form to Scott Heefner, SURA’s Chief Growth Officer and D&R Committee at award@sura.org. Only one nomination per institution will be accepted. The nomination period will close on February 29, 2024 at 5 p.m. EST to ensure adequate time for committee deliberation and advance notification of the recipient.

To be eligible for consideration, nominees must be actively engaged in research at a SURA member institution. We welcome individuals from diverse programs and research fields whose work aligns with SURA’s mission of promoting collaborative research. Preference will be given to nominees whose accomplishments reflect the rich diversity present within SURA, encompassing aspects such as race, ethnicity, gender, discipline, and institutional representation.

The DSA is designed for scholars making a tangible impact on their academic community and society at large. Ideal nominees are acknowledged leaders in their fields, celebrated for outstanding contributions at the local, national, and international levels. Nomination packages should provide compelling evidence of the candidate’s excellence in research, showcasing significant discoveries and scholarly achievements.

Please note that individuals who have served on SURA’s Board of Directors within the past two years and previous DSA recipients are ineligible for consideration.

A subcommittee of the D&R Committee will review the nominations, selecting two distinguished scholars for recommendation to the Board of Directors at the Spring 2024 meeting. The subcommittee will prioritize nominees whose research aligns with SURA initiatives, particularly emphasizing collaborative efforts within member institutions and highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Up to two awardees will be chosen, and the results will be announced at the Annual Membership Meeting in Washington D.C. in July. Each award will include an honorarium of $5000.

We encourage you to submit nominations for deserving scholars who embody the spirit of collaborative research and have made significant contributions to their fields. Let us collectively celebrate and recognize the remarkable achievements within our consortium.

The SURA Early Career Scientist Award

The purpose of the Early Career Achievement Award (ECSA) is to recognize member institution faculty who have generated a sufficient volume of scholarship of high quality and are emerging in their fields as leaders and acknowledged as such by their peers. This award is for early career scientists at the faculty level of Assistant Professor, or who have held the rank of Associate Professor for less than three years at the time of the nomination. Adjunct and visiting faculty are not eligible.

The nomination and selection process for the ECSA will follow the same steps as for the DSA. However, only a single ECSA will be made. This award will also be presented at the Annual Membership Meeting in Washington D.C. in July and will include a $3,000 honorarium.

The D&R Committee welcomes nominations from all SURA member institutions for Early Career Achievement Award. Responsive nomination packages should include;
• a concise letter of nomination including the qualifications of the nominee, an award citation from the institution’s President, as well as contact information for the nominee,
• a comprehensive and up-to-date curriculum vitæ or biographical sketch of the nominee, and
• up to three (3) letters of endorsement (limited to two (2) pages each) sent on behalf of the nominee.

The qualifications for the ECSA are different than for the DSA. Nominees must not be more than 10 years beyond receipt of the Ph.D. or M.S. degree, by December 31 of the year in which they are nominated. Nomination packages should demonstrate the candidate’s outstanding accomplishments in research and/or creative activity unusually early in their professional career with documented evidence of exemplary research/creative accomplishments as evaluated by peers and experts in their field as well as scholarly achievements and recognition (publications, professional awards, funded research etc.) and the significance of their contributions to the discipline.