Mentoring Awards

Nominations will be submitted via the shared form from the Provost’s Office. Then OUR will contact the nominee to request the documents for consideration. Nominations will be accepted until Sept 3, 2025. Link to nomination form: https://forms.gle/isVSt7ySeVAge7vX7.

Nominees must include the following in their packet (Applications due on 9/24/2025):

1. Two-page vita highlighting undergraduate research mentoring activities while at UWF.
2. List of mentees, including name, dates, project title, and current position, if possible.
3. List of publications and presentations with undergraduate student authors and student research awards, honors, or scholarships. It is suggested that you provide this information via the Publications, Presentations, and Scholarly End Products Template.
4. A one-page narrative from the nominee should include a discussion of mentoring philosophy, types of research and scholarship with context from the discipline's conventions, and how the mentor serves as a role model for building productive and transformative student-mentor relationships within their department, college, and/or discipline community. The narrative should focus on the relationship between the mentor and their mentees.
5. A response from the nominee to the following prompt: Please discuss the effort it takes in your discipline to involve students in research and the breadth of different research topics/projects in which your undergraduate students engage.
6. Two letters of support from current or former student mentees.
7. Letter of support from a colleague, department chair/associate chair, dean/associate dean, etc. (must be on the faculty or staff of UWF at time of submission), highlighting how the nominee exemplifies the role of undergraduate research mentor at UWF.

OUR is pleased to open the call for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Awards nominations. These awards serve to recognize faculty who exemplify UWF's commitment to the undergraduate research experience and convey the University's high regard for faculty contributions outside of the traditional classroom.

Award recipients' records should include a demonstration of mentoring undergraduate student research and scholarship that results in research "end products," such as peer-reviewed publications with student co-authors, student presentations, or performances. In addition to basic discipline skills, these accomplished mentors also contribute to students' professional development and success beyond graduation. Finally, award recipients should serve as role models to other faculty on how best to support research and scholarship on campus.

We anticipate making two awards (one Early Career Award for faculty with fewer than seven years in an academic setting and one Senior Career Award for faculty with seven or more years in an academic setting, including at least four years at UWF) of $1,500 (before tax). Awards will be presented to recognize exemplary undergraduate research mentoring, focusing on the mentoring relationship.

Nominations will be accepted until September 3, 2025.

Nominee Application Packet Deadline: September 24, 2025

The selection committee will include the Director of OUR, and at least one faculty member from each college or school. Evaluations and discussions by the committee will highlight mentoring activities included on the Mentor Award Nomination Review Rubric. The Director of OUR will make final decisions.

Award recipients are anticipated to be announced on TBD.