Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards
The Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards are KU’s highest award for faculty accomplishments in research, scholarship and creative activity. In 1981, Regents Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Pharmacy Takeru Higuchi, his wife, Mrs. Aya Higuchi, and KU Endowment established the award program, which is designed to recognize significant research achievement conducted at the University of Kansas or another Regents institution. These awards were first presented in the fall of 1982.
Each award of $10,000 — on deposit with KU Endowment — may be expended over five years in support of research activities, such as research materials, summer salary, fellowship matching funds, equipment, research assistants or any other purpose that advances the individual's research program.
The awards were established in four categories of scholarly and creative achievement to honor four benefactors of the University of Kansas: Balfour Jeffrey, Olin Petefish, Dolph Simons and Irvin Youngberg.
Nominations must be submitted electronically through KU's Hub for Funding & Award Opportunities.
Deadline to submit nominations through the portal is 11:59 p.m. Dec. 15.
Scholarly disciplines and criteria for each of the four awards
This award recognizes outstanding research achievement in the arts, humanities and social sciences. It honors an individual whose work has had a major and substantial impact on their discipline and/or society and has achieved national and/or international distinction. Recipients will have produced either profoundly seminal contributions that have shaped their field or a sustained body of influential scholarship that has significantly advanced intellectual, creative or societal understanding.
A successful recipient of the Balfour Jeffrey Research Award in Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences demonstrates a sustained record of research excellence and impact. Nomination materials should provide evidence of: (1) the significance and originality of the nominee's research contributions; (2) the influence of their work on scholarly thought, research directions, policy, practice, culture or public understanding; (3) national and/or international recognition of their achievements; (4) a sustained record of high-impact scholarship and research productivity; and (5) the extent to which their work has generated new intellectual, creative or societal insights.
This award recognizes outstanding research achievement in the basic sciences. It is presented to an individual whose research has had a major and substantial impact on their field and has achieved national and/or international distinction. The recipient's work will typically have either profoundly influenced subsequent developments within a discipline or constituted a sustained record of significant research that has advanced understanding of fundamental scientific processes, phenomena, or principles. The award recognizes excellence across fields such as the physical, chemical, biological, behavioral, and mathematical sciences.
A successful recipient of the Olin Petefish Research Award in Basic Sciences is a researcher whose work has made a major and lasting contribution to the advancement of fundamental scientific knowledge. Nomination materials should provide evidence of: (1) the significance, originality, and rigor of the nominee's research contributions; (2) the extent to which their work has advanced understanding of basic processes, phenomena, or principles within the basic sciences; (3) a sustained record of impactful research productivity; (4) influence on subsequent discoveries, research directions, or theoretical development within their field; and (5) national and/or international recognition for their scholarly achievements.
The Dolph Simons Research Award recognizes outstanding research achievement in the biomedical sciences. It is presented to an individual whose work has had a major and substantial impact on biomedical research and has achieved national and/or international distinction. The recipient's research should address important biomedical problems and be characterized either by seminal discoveries that have transformed understanding in the field or by a sustained record of significant scientific contributions. The award recognizes excellence in areas related to medicine, pharmacy, biological and behavioral sciences, bioengineering and veterinary medicine.
A successful recipient of the Dolph Simons Research Award in Biomedical Sciences is a researcher whose work has made a major and meaningful contribution to improving the understanding, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of biomedical challenges. Nomination materials should provide evidence of: (1) the significance, innovation and scientific rigor of the nominee's research contributions; (2) the impact of their work on advancing biomedical knowledge, methods, technologies or clinical practice; (3) a sustained record of high-quality and influential research productivity; (4) the extent to which their discoveries have shaped subsequent research, translational efforts or health-related outcomes; and (5) national and/or international recognition for their scholarly achievements.
The Irvin Youngberg Research Award recognizes outstanding research achievement in applied sciences. It is presented to an individual whose work has had a major and substantial impact through the application of scientific knowledge to practical challenges and whose research has demonstrated significant relevance to the state of Kansas. The recipient's work will typically be characterized either by seminal contributions that have transformed practice or by a sustained record of significant research that has generated meaningful societal, economic, technological or environmental benefits. The award recognizes excellence in fields such as engineering, agriculture, business, economics and other areas of applied science.
A successful recipient of the Irvin Youngberg Research Award in Applied Sciences is a researcher whose work has produced significant real-world impact through the application of scientific knowledge to address important societal, economic, technological or environmental challenges. Nomination materials should provide evidence of: (1) the significance, innovation and practical application of the nominee's research contributions; (2) measurable impact on industry, communities, public policy, economic development or professional practice; (3) a sustained record of high-quality and influential research productivity; (4) the translation of research findings into solutions, technologies, processes or programs that advance the applied sciences; and (5) meaningful relevance and benefit to the state of Kansas.
Eligibility and nomination process
- Eligibility is limited to tenured faculty members employed at any of the six Kansas Board of Regents institutions.
- A substantial portion of the work for which the individual is nominated must have been completed at the nominee’s Kansas Regents institution.
- A separate nomination must be submitted for each nominee. Nominations of co-investigators or research teams will not be accepted.
- Only complete nomination materials will be considered.
Nominations must be submitted electronically through KU's Hub for Funding & Award Opportunities.
- Deadline to submit nominations through the portal is 11:59 p.m. Dec. 15.
Nominations must include the following:
- A letter of nomination (maximum 5 pages) outlining the accomplishments of the nominee based on the criteria for the awards. This letter should detail the nominee’s seminal contributions to their field, concentrating on contributions that occurred while on the faculty of their Regents institution. The panel that reviews nominations consists of faculty researchers from a number of academic disciplines.
- Note: Please make sure the letter of nomination uses language understandable to those outside the nominee’s area of expertise.
- Rubric: Reviewers score nominations on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the highest), assessing each candidate’s: 1) Specific contributions in their field, 2) Exceptional merit, and 3) Either their research relevance to the state of Kansas (for applied sciences) or their national/international impact (for all other categories). For each numerical score, reviewers must provide the rationale for their scores by citing specific evidence from the nomination materials.
- Letters from 3 references. These references should have no close academic or personal connection with the nominee (e.g., former professors or students, former or current colleagues, co-authors, etc.), nor should they be associated with any Kansas Regents institution.
- A current curriculum vitae for the nominee.
- Although a specific Higuchi Research Achievement category may be referenced in the nomination letter, nominees will be considered in all categories for which they may be eligible.
- The nomination committee may choose not to recommend that an award be made in a category in a given year.
- Past recipients may be nominated for an award after 10 years have passed. Nominations for an additional award will be judged only on the additional body of research, scholarly and creative activity produced since the previous award.
Individuals who were nominated last year and not selected are eligible for renomination. The nominator is welcome to resubmit using the same materials with an updated CV. .
Previous award winners
Balfour S. Jeffrey Award
- David Farber, Department of History, University of Kansas, 2026
- Dave Tell, Department of Communication Studies, University of Kansas, 2025
- John Colombo, Department of Psychology & Life Span Institute, University of Kansas, 2024
- Donna Ginther, Department of Economics & Institute for Policy & Social Research, University of Kansas, 2023
- Beth Bailey, Department of History, University of Kansas, 2022
- Michael Hoeflich, School of Law, University of Kansas, 2021
- Donald Haider-Markel, Department of Political Science, University of Kansas 2019
- Maryemma Graham, Department of English, University of Kansas, 2018
- Nyla Branscombe, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, 2017
- Philip Nel, Department of English, Kansas State University, 2016
- Michael Wehmeyer, Department of Special Education, Beach Center on Disability, University of Kansas, 2015
- Victor Bailey, Department of History, University of Kansas, 2014
- William Barnet, Department of Economics, University of Kansas, 2013
- Jonathan Mayhew, Department of Spanish & Portuguese, University of Kansas, 2012
- William Staples, Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2011
- Hagith Sivan, Department of History, University of Kansas, 2010
- Arienne Dwyer, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, 2009
- Charles Eldredge, Department of Art History, University of Kansas, 2008
- Ann Turnbull, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas, 2007
- Michael H. Crawford, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, 2006
- E. Wayne Nafziger, Department of Economics, Kansas State University, 2005
- William M. Tuttle, Jr., American Studies Program, University of Kansas, 2004
- John M. Janzen, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, 2003
- C. R. Snyder, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, 2002
- F. Allan Hanson, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, 2001
Olin K. Petefish Award
- Ruth Welti, Department of Biology, Kansas State University, 2026
- Walter Dodds, Department of Biology, Kansas State University, 2025
- Wen-Xing Ding, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2024
- Uwe Thumm, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, 2023
- John Kelly, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 2022
- Sharon Billings, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 2021
- James Edgar, Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, 2019
- Ryszard Jankowiak, Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, 2018
- Bharat Ratra, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, 2017
- Christer Aakeroy, Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, 2016
- David Nualart, Department of Mathematics, University of Kansas, 2015
- Susan J. Brown, Department of Biology, Kansas State University, 2014
- Siyuan Han, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Kansas, 2013
- Judy Wu, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Kansas, 2012
- Michael Kanost, Department of Biochemistry, Kansas State University, 2011
- Chii-Dong Lin, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, 2010
- Duy Hua, Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, 2009
- Christopher Sorensen, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, 2008
- A. Townsend Peterson, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 2007
- Craig L. Huneke, Department of Mathematics, University of Kansas, 2006
- Thomas E. Cravens, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Kansas, 2005
- Charles Lewis Cocke, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, 2004
- Bala Subramaniam, Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas, 2003
- Talat Shahnaz Rhaman, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, 2002
- Jeffrey Aube, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2001
Dolph Simons Award
- X. Long Zheng, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2026
- Hartmut Jaeschke, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2025
- David Poole, Department of Kinesiology & Physiology, Kansas State University, 2024
- Timothy Musch, Department of Kinesiology & Physiology, Kansas State University, 2023
- Dr. Russell Swerdlow, Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2022
- Juergen Richt, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 2021
- Andrew Godwin, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2019
- Stephen Higgs, Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, Kansas State University, 2018
- “Shirley” Shi Du Yan, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Kansas, 2017
- Randolph Nudo, Department of Rehabilitative Medicine, Landon Center on Aging, KU Medical Center, 2016
- Paulette Spencer, Department of Bioengineering, University of Kansas, 2015
- Craig Lunte, Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2014
- William Groutas, Department of Chemistry, Wichita State University, 2013
- Susan Lunte, Departments of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2012
- Edward Stephens, Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology, KU Medical Center, 2011
- Christian Schöneich, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2010
- Steven Barlow, Department of Speech-Language-Hearing, University of Kansas, 2009
- Larry Takemoto, Department of Biology, Kansas State University, 2008
- Charles Little, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, KU Medical Center, 2007
- Professor Gary W. Conrad, Department of Biology, Kansas State University, 2006
- Dale R. Abrahamson, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, KU Medical Center, 2005
- Michael J. Soares, Deptartments of Molecular & Integrative Physiology and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, KU Medical Center, 2004
- Robin E. Denell, Department of Biology, Kansas State University, 2003
- Kristin Bowman-James, Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2002
- Joe Lutkenhaus, Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics & Immunology, KU Medical Center, 2001
Irvin E. Youngberg Award
- Kathleen Lynne Lane, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas, 2026
- Hans Coetzee, Department of Anatomy & Physiology, Kansas State University, 2025
- Jie Han, Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering, University of Kansas, 2024
- Mark Shiflett, Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas, 2023
- Steven Soper, Departments of Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Program, University of Kansas, 2022
- Kelly Kindscher, Environmental Studies Program, University of Kansas, 2021
- Perry Alexander, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Kansas, 2019
- Raghunath Chaudhari, Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas, 2018
- Vara Prasad, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, 2017
- Judith J. Carta, Department of Special Education, Bureau of Child Research, University of Kansas, 2016
- Stephen Welch, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, 2015
- Frank F. White, Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, 2014
- Mary Beth Kirkham, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, 2013
- Rolfe Mandel, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, 2012
- Xiuzhi (Susan) Sun, Department of Grain Science & Industry, Kansas State University, 2011
- T.G. Nagaraja, Department of Diagnostic Medicine / Pathobiology / Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 2010
- Charles Rice, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, 2009
- Charles Greenwood, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, Director, Juniper Gardens Children’s Project, University of Kansas, 2008
- Paul Seib, Department of Grain Science & Industry, Kansas State University, 2007'
- Professor James R. Shortridge, Department of Geography, University of Kansas, 2006
- H. George Frederickson, Department of Public Administration, University of Kansas, 2005
- Akira Y. Yamamoto, Departments of Anthropology & Linguistics, University of Kansas, 2004
- Carol E. Smith, School of Nursing, KU Medical Center, 2003
- Donald D. Stull, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, 2002
- Larry E. Erickson, Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, 2001