A crowd listens to Chancellor Douglas A. Girod speak at KU's University Research Awards

Office of Faculty Recognition & Awards for Research

KU’s Office of Faculty Recognition & Awards for Research provides support for faculty nominations for external research awards that recognize outstanding achievements in research, scholarship and creative activity. The awards are national and international honors, memberships, and fellowships granted by prestigious foundations and societies recognized by the National Research Council (NRC) and the Association of American Universities (AAU).

View KU's recipients

How we can help

The office partners with academic and research units to identify faculty eligible for external awards and assists with assembling strong nomination packages. Through this collaboration, the office also develops award ladders to guide researchers as they progress in their careers and attain eligibility for university and state awards, disciplinary awards, and national/international awards. Some of the ways our office and our campus partners can assist include:

  • Identifying honorific awards
  • Goal mapping for future awards
  • Liaison with awarding organizations
  • Writing support
  • Submission management
Huazhen Fang, associate professor of mechanical engineering, at a meeting with colleagues.

How you can help

  • Let someone know of your interest in being nominated for an award — your department chair, a colleague in the discipline, etc.
  • Identify potential nominators/letter of support writers
  • Keep your CV updated
  • Verify accuracy of information in Faculty Insight and update as needed
Elaina Sutley, associate professor of engineering, presenting at the Red Hot Research Research event.

Why do faculty research awards matter?

Honorific awards boost your visibility, adding to your perceived value as a researcher and potential for promotion. They also enhance your ability to garner grant funding.

The process of vying for awards and fellowships requires periodic focus on your skills and career progress and can yield feedback that lets you know how you measure up against other scholars in your field.

Awards raise awareness of your research accomplishments, providing opportunities for collaboration with colleagues at KU and at other institutions. 

Membership in a national society offers valuable opportunities for networking and participation in activities in your discipline as well as member-only benefits.

Highly prestigious awards

The National Research Council designates more than 100 awards, honors and recognitions from a wide range of disciplines as highly prestigious. In addition to bringing increased visibility and elevating opportunities for the faculty recipients, these outstanding achievements are tracked by the AAU as a metric for institutional membership.

Dr. Giselle Anatol participates in AfroRithms Black Futurists workshop. Giselle is the Director of the Hall Center for Humanities

KU award recipients

The work of University of Kansas faculty has been acknowledged by a number of outside organizations with recognitions designated as "prestigious" or "highly prestigious" by the National Research Council. Browse and sort the list below to view faculty awards across all KU campuses.

See something missing? Please contact Robin Lehman.


See something missing? Please contact Robin Lehman.

Award highlights

50
winners of the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award since 1995
30
Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
43%
Percent of current KU faculty who have received a national/international award
Robin Lehman

Contact

Robin Lehman is KU's Director of Faculty Recognition & Awards. Questions about the process?

Connect with Robin

Additional faculty award opportunities

Faculty recognition news

Read the latest stories celebrating KU faculty award recipients, as well as informative articles about KU's faculty recognition program.

Faculty recognition news

KU professor Angela Gist-Mackey stands holding her arms up while being recognized at center court in Allen Fieldhouse while Jie Zhang, associate dean in KU's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, looks on.

Faculty recognized for research excellence at 2024-25 KU Athletics events

For the second year, a group of University of Kansas faculty touted for their excellence in research, scholarship and creative activity were honored at KU Athletics events. Each enjoyed a VIP experience at a KU volleyball, football or basketball game, where they were introduced on the court or field during a timeout.
Portrait of Robin Lehman, director of faculty recognition & awards, next to a dark blue geometric background.

Aspiring to membership in the National Academies

For many scholars, being selected as a member of one of the three National Academies — Sciences, Engineering or Medicine — is one of the highest professional honors. Why? Because NAS, NAE or NAM membership represents being acknowledged as one of the best and brightest scientific minds.
Six KU faculty members pose for a photo in front of a AAAS Fellows backdrop at the 150th anniversary gala of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

KU delegation makes connections at AAAS gala in Washington, D.C.

The university supported the Sept. 21 event as an institutional sponsor and invited a delegation of fellows to participate as a way to elevate the institution’s visibility in the organization and form connections that contribute to opportunities for engagement related to research and science policy, career development, and potential collaborations with peers.
KU professor Jomella Watson-Thompson is recognized for research excellence at a KU football game. She is standing next to Alicia Doan, associate dean for research in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, on the football field.

Shining a 'Spotlight on Faculty Excellence'

Honorees for the 2024-25 program, to be announced in the weeks ahead, have contributed significantly to society, their disciplines and the local and/or university community. They have also demonstrated a commitment to developing future leaders in their fields through mentoring.
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