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IARSA

Recognition

Research Excellence Awards

The IARSA Research Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions in research and scholarship — honouring individuals, teams and institutions that demonstrate exceptional research productivity, impact and originality.

Researchers being recognised at an IARSA event

IARSA Global

The Global Awards of Excellence

For over a decade, IARSA has recognized the extraordinary achievements of individuals and institutions pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery and administrative governance. Our annual Awards of Excellence honor those whose work directly improves human lives and strengthens academic frameworks across the United States, West Africa, and the global scientific community. We celebrate outstanding contributions to multidisciplinary research, institutional administration, and societal impact.

Nomination & selection

The annual cycle

  1. Opens 1 February annually

    Call for Nominations

    Members can self-nominate or nominate a peer via the online portal.

  2. 1 April to 31 August

    Technical Committee Review

    An independent global panel of senior peer-reviewers evaluates all submissions.

  3. 2 September

    Finalists Announcement

    The top three nominees in each category are published on the website.

  4. November

    Presentation Ceremony

    Laureates are officially decorated during the gala night of the IARSA Annual International Conference, held in the United States, Nigeria or Ghana.

Research Excellence Awards

“Excellence in research is not just about discovery; it is about impact and transformation.”

An award is more than just a certificate or a medal. It is a way to honour and recognize those who take unconventional paths and make valuable contributions to their field and to society.

The IARSA Research Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding contributions in research and scholarship. They are typically given to individuals, teams or institutions that demonstrate exceptional research productivity, impact and originality, and they serve to encourage excellence, promote research, and showcase the value of research in addressing important societal issues.

The awards provide a platform for appreciating the countless research efforts of researchers and scholars, recognizing contributions that are research and innovation centric and that seek to provide comprehensive solutions to some of the challenging issues in society and the community. They showcase leading research efforts across multiple streams and disciplines, and through them the association has promoted numerous research practices which have furthered and developed the scope of academia and created leading pathways for students and faculties.

To express its gratitude, the association bestows the awards upon individuals, institutions and organizations in recognition of their contributions to society around the globe. For IARSA the significance of a contribution is not measured by its size or immediate impact but by the commitment to making a difference, no matter how small the contribution may seem. The inspiration comes from the Board of Directors' belief that society often fails to recognize the smaller contributions made by individuals and organizations.

For the Board, excellence is not about achieving what others cannot, but about giving one's best effort to any task, regardless of the outcome. Recognition should not be reserved only for those at the pinnacle of success, as that overlooks the efforts of many who are working toward the betterment of society. By acknowledging even the smallest contributions, a broader community can be inspired to engage in meaningful work for the greater good.

Nomination categories

The awards are conferred under seven categories

Individuals, educational institutions and non-educational organizations can nominate themselves or others.

  • Teaching and lecturing

    Recognizes school teachers, faculty members of higher education institutions, and other teaching professionals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation and impact in education.

  • Research

    Honours faculty members, research scholars and academic institutions that have made outstanding contributions to research, knowledge creation and scholarly advancement in their respective fields.

  • Leadership

    Acknowledges individuals who exemplify visionary leadership, integrity and dedication in driving positive change within their communities, organizations and society at large. Conferred upon distinguished leaders from academia, industry and the social sectors.

  • Education

    Honours academic institutions, professional bodies and training providers for exceptional contributions to quality education across diverse disciplines. Awarded in three subcategories: for providing holistic education, for providing professional certification, and for providing professional training.

  • Entrepreneurship

    Celebrates individuals who have exhibited remarkable entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and significant impact in advancing social and economic development through their ventures and initiatives.

  • Women empowerment

    Acknowledges both individuals and institutions that have made outstanding contributions towards promoting the empowerment and equality of women and girls.

  • Philanthropy

    A recognition bestowed upon individuals and institutions that have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation and impact in addressing social challenges and advancing humanitarian causes.

The awards

Named awards

Research & Development Excellence Award, Researcher of the Year
Acknowledges outstanding contributions to research. It recognizes and encourages outstanding researchers with proven international reputations, undertaking research of major importance in its field, who have made a significant contribution in advancing knowledge, research outcomes and culture, by maintaining an exceptional record of sustained high-level research activity particularly within the last five years, or by spearheading a major research breakthrough, and by demonstrating excellent leadership and collaboration skills.
American Award for Outstanding Research on Development
Recognizing excellence in policy-oriented research.
International Award for Most Innovative Development Project
Funding innovative social development projects.
Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award
The premier acknowledgment of outstanding achievement and success in education research, designed to publicize, motivate, encourage and suggest models for education research at its best.
Distinguished Public Service Award
Granted in recognition of an individual who has worked to enact or implement policies well grounded in education research, or who has been at the forefront of efforts to increase recognition and support for education research.
Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award
Recognizes a person who has made noteworthy contributions to reporting on findings, bodies of research or scholarship in the field of education research in any medium of public communication, honouring a media professional whose work exemplifies promoting a broader vision of the value of education research to society.
Outstanding Book Award
Established to acknowledge and honour the year's best book-length publication in education research and development.
Early Career Award
Established to honour an individual in the early stages of their career, no later than five years after receipt of the doctoral degree, granted for study in any field of educational inquiry.
Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award
Recognizes individuals for distinguished research, professional practice and activities that advance public understanding of gender and sexuality at any level in the education community.
Exemplary Contributions to Practice-Engaged Research Award
Presented to an education research scholar or scholars in recognition of collaborative projects between researchers and practitioners that have had sustained and observable effects on contexts of practice.
Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award
Honours scholars exemplary in their capacity to communicate the importance of education research to the broad public, who have excelled in conveying important findings to wide audiences and demonstrated the capacity to deepen understanding and appreciation of the value of education research in the public sphere.
Public Engagement with Research Award
Focuses on both the quality of the engagement strategy and its impact, recognizing IARSA grantees who have successfully engaged with audiences outside their research domain, contributing to a deeper understanding of science and society.
Award of Excellence in University Safety Planning and Leadership
IARSA recognizes the importance of creating a safe campus environment free from danger, injury or risk. Critical events may happen on campus, and colleges must understand how to operate before, during and after an event. This award recognizes exemplary practices and innovation in campus safety and emergency response strategies, programmes and procedures.
Academic and Industrial Collaboration Award
Acknowledges and honours remarkable partnerships that bridge the gap between academia and industry, fostering innovation and advancing shared objectives.
Advancement in Industry and Academia Award
Recognizes outstanding collaborations that harmonize the strengths of academia and industry, driving transformative advancements and nurturing symbiotic relationships between the sectors.
Global Research Collaboration Award
Recognizes outstanding collaborative efforts between international entities, fostering impactful research with a global reach and driving advancements through diverse perspectives and expertise.
Industry-Academia Innovation Award
Acknowledges exceptional collaborative efforts between industry and academia, fostering innovative solutions and driving impactful advancements through collaborative partnerships.
Corporate Scientific Achievement Award
Recognizes organisations demonstrating outstanding contributions and advancements within the realm of science, driving innovations and significant impacts through their initiatives.

Nominating

Criteria and procedure

Important information

  • Individuals, educational institutions and non-educational organizations can nominate themselves or others.
  • Each applicant can apply for a maximum of two awards. If an applicant submits nominations for more than two, all nominations will be considered invalid.
  • Any nomination containing false information will be rejected.
  • An individual or institution can receive the awards only once in a lifetime. If an institution or organization has previously received the award, it will not be eligible to apply again.
  • Awardees are selected on the recommendations of the Awards Selection Committee, and preference is given to IARSA members at the time of selection.
  • There is no fee for award nominations. However, applicants must register to attend the event, and a nominal registration fee applies as per the association's guidelines.

General award criteria

Recipients are recognized for outstanding conceptual contribution and fundamental advancement in the field of education, research, library and administration practice. In completing the nomination application, the nominator should address as many of the following criteria as possible.

The nominee has repeatedly demonstrated

  • Writing, speaking, teaching and delivering public presentations that have significantly contributed to the development of education, research, library and administration
  • Contribution to professional literature: has published highly-respected work, is a frequently cited source in books and journals, or has created a body of work that has enhanced research management and administration
  • Challenging our way of thinking about research, and reinterpretation of existing theory so as to enhance understanding of the profession
  • Significant client and community impact through the application of research theory, principles and practices while working on client engagements
  • Commitment to others through teaching, mentoring, writing, speaking, blogging and sharing information
  • Global or national recognition for their contributions
  • Exemplifying the values and practising the principles of research in their own behaviour

And the nominee has

  • Made contributions relevant to the award level through active participation, advocacy or leadership, in a manner consistent with the highest standards of the organization
  • Demonstrated creativity, innovation, intellectual or moral courage, team building or leadership skills
  • Written, published or produced articles in the newsletter, in publications or on the web, significantly contributing to the association's mission statement
  • Been active with related groups, resulting in partnering to achieve goals or sharing knowledge with other groups

Nomination criteria

  • Any person who knows the nominee and their work well can make a nomination, providing the motivation required in the nomination form.
  • Nominees can be from any part of the world.
  • Overall winners in the past ten years are not eligible to be nominated in the categories in which they have previously won.

What each nomination must contain

  1. The name of the award for which the nomination is being submitted.
  2. The name of the individual, group, committee, organization or firm being nominated. For an individual: their name, home address and phone number, and the employer's work address, phone and email address. For a group or committee: the name of the group and the organization it is affiliated with, along with the name, address, telephone number and email address of the chairperson. For an organization or firm: the name, address and phone number of the firm, and the name, address, phone number and email address of the chief executive, president or owner.
  3. The name, address, phone number and email address of the person making the nomination.
  4. If the nominee is an individual, the name of the employer along with a brief description of their current position. If the nominee is a group, a description of the purpose of the group and the primary organization it supports.
  5. A description of the key outstanding accomplishments of the nominee. It must be clear exactly how the nominee meets the criteria for the specific award.
  6. As an attachment, a list of references who will corroborate the nomination, with name, address, phone number and email address of people who can comment on the nominee's performance. Where multiple references are provided, at least one must be an IARSA member. Referees cannot be related to, or employed by, the nominee.

Nomination procedure

For simplicity, a single nomination process is used for all of these awards. A letter format is accepted as long as all of the necessary information is provided in the proper order.

Applicants who want to submit their applications for internal review must submit complete applications to the association, and any queries regarding the awards should be sent to the same address.