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Faculty Handbook
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Chapter 13: Faculty Awards

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13.D School and College Awards

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Most of the schools and colleges have established awards to honor the many achievements of their faculties. Contact the dean’s office of each school and college for more information. See the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) website for information about school and college teaching awards.

Chapter 13: Faculty Awards

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13.C Research Faculty Awards

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A guide to all research-related awards is posted on the UM Office of Research website.

Collegiate Research Professorship

Any individual at the University of Michigan who holds at least a 75% appointment as a research professor who does not also hold a tenured or tenure-track appointment is eligible. The award provides an annual stipend for five years to enhance the investigator’s research. The named Collegiate Professorship may be renewed; however, the stipend is not renewable past the first five years. No more than one collegiate research professorship will be awarded each year.

Research Faculty Achievement Award

The criterion for this award is outstanding contribution to the intellectual environment of the University through excellence in research. The award is open to individuals at the University of Michigan who hold at least 75% of their University appointment in the faculty research tracks at the rank of associate research scientist, research associate professor, research scientist, or research professor. Tenured and tenure-track faculty are not eligible for this award. The award includes a stipend.

Research Faculty Recognition Award

The criterion for this award is outstanding contribution to the intellectual environment of the University through excellence in research. The award is open to individuals at the University of Michigan who hold at least 75% of their University appointment in the faculty research tracks at the rank of assistant research scientist, associate research scientist, research assistant professor, or research associate professor. Tenured and tenure-track faculty are not eligible for this award. The award includes a stipend.

Chapter 13: Faculty Awards

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13.B University-Wide Awards

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Administered by the Office of the Provost

  • Arthur F. Thurnau Professorships
    Recognizes and rewards faculty whose commitment to and investment in undergraduate teaching has had a demonstrable impact on the intellectual development and lives of their students.
  • Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award
    Recognizes and rewards faculty whose service contributes to the development of a culturally and ethnically diverse campus community. Nominees must be full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty on the Ann Arbor campus.
  • Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize
    Recognizes faculty who have developed innovation in teaching, such as new uses of instructional technology and new ways to engage students.

 

Administered by the Rackham Graduate School

  • Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award
    Recognizes extraordinary achievement in teaching, research, creative work in the arts, public service, or other activities that have brought distinction to the University. Eligibility: full and associate professors who have not previously won this award.
  • Distinguished University Professorship
    Recognizes exceptional scholarly and /or creative achievement, national and international reputation, and superior teaching skills.
  • Faculty Recognition Award
    Recognizes substantive contributions to the University through significant achievements in research and other scholarly and creative activities; excellence as a teacher, advisor and mentor; and distinguished participation in service activities of the University. Eligibility: full professors with no more than four years at that rank, associate professors, and assistant professors who have not previously received the award.
  • Henry Russel Lectureship
    Recognizes exceptional achievements in research, scholarship and creative endeavors, and an outstanding record in teaching, mentoring and service–one of the University’s highest honors for a senior member of its active faculty. Recipient delivers the Henry Russel Lecture. Eligibility: senior faculty with the rank of Professor.
  • Henry Russel Award
    Recognizes distinguished scholarship and/or creativity and conspicuous ability as a teacher. Eligibility: faculty with the title of Associate or Assistant Professor who have been tenure track instructional faculty for not more than six years at the time of nomination.

Sponsored by Rackham Graduate School

  • John H. D’Arms Faculty Awards for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring in the Humanities
    Recognizes scholars of extraordinary depth and breadth who have provided their students with the quality of intellectual support that only remarkable learning, coupled with boundless generosity of spirit, can bestow. Eligibility: Tenured faculty members in the Humanities who have directed a substantial number of dissertations over the past several years.
  • Rackham Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award
    Recognizes the considerable efforts and accomplishments of faculty who consistently serve as effective mentors of doctoral students. Eligibility: tenured faculty members who have advised a substantial number of doctoral students over a number of years. Note: Because the D’Arms Faculty Awards recognize distinguished mentoring in the humanities, this award typically will go to faculty in other fields.
  • Rackham Master’s Mentoring Award
    Recognizes faculty members from any discipline who serve as dedicated and inspiring mentors to Rackham master’s students, especially those students who do not intend to pursue doctoral degrees. Eligibility: scholars, researchers, artists or professionals with a demonstrated commitment to fostering the intellectual, creative, scholarly, and/or professional growth of their master’s degree students.

External Faculty Awards & Programs

The opportunities listed in this section provide external funding through awards and programs in which the sponsors limit the number of submissions from the University. Typically, an internal selection process is undertaken to decide which proposals will go forward.

Other Awards

The UM Office of Research (UMOR) collects and distributes information about numerous limited submission opportunities for faculty. These opportunities are coordinated by UMOR, the Medical School, or other offices. The website also provides an archive of opportunities posted previously.

Chapter 13: Faculty Awards

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13.A General Principles

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In its strong commitment to recognizing the achievements of its faculty, the University has established a variety of faculty awards.

Information about a few of these awards has been included in the Faculty Handbook as an illustration of awards given by the University of Michigan. Unless otherwise noted, faculty on all three campuses are eligible for these awards. For a listing of awards committees, see handbook subsection 4.E.3, “Other University Committees with Faculty Members Recommended by SACUA.” For a listing of University of Michigan teaching awards, see the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) website. See also the Honors and Awards section of the Provost’s Office website and the Rackham Graduate School Awards webpage.