Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship

Nominations due on January 31, 2025

The Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship (PAECES) recognize the significant efforts of faculty, students, staff, and community partners who work collaboratively to address critical community issues. Community-engaged scholarship is integral to the academic endeavor and to the institution-wide mission of a land-grant university. It is defined as the collaborative and mutually beneficial, creative exchange of knowledge and resources between the University and the community (local, regional/state, national, or global) to:

decorative graphic enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning;
decorative graphic provide life-transformative educational experiences;
decorative graphic prepare educated, engaged citizens;
decorative graphic promote social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusivity;
decorative graphic strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility;
decorative graphic address critical societal issues;
decorative graphic and contribute to the public good.

Each awardee will be recognized for their exemplary work in Public Engagement and will:

  • Receive an appropriately inscribed plaque.
  • Be featured in articles and highlights through other UConn communication platforms and external news sources.

Nomination Forms and Requirements by Category

Nominations for all categories are due on January 31, 2025.

Please read carefully the evaluation criteria for each category. For all applications you must complete the form linked for each category and attach the supporting documents in the same form (at the bottom of the form). If you have questions about the nomination process, please contact us at engagement@uconn.edu.

Self-nominations are not accepted.

Student Individual and Team Award

Student Individual and Team Application Form

Eligibility: All current undergraduate and graduate/professional students who have contributed significantly to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished University community-engaged scholarship are eligible for public engagement awards. For these awards, distinguished public engagement is a direct extension of an individual’s University role to the public and non-profit sectors. Individuals who have received an individual community-engaged scholarship award in previous years are not eligible to receive the award again in future years.

Engagement or service resulting in monetary gain (private consulting) is not considered community-engaged scholarship, nor is work performed outside of an individual’s University role (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official.

Undergraduate

Student Award:

One award may be given to an undergraduate student for community-engaged scholarship activities.

 Graduate or Professional Student Award:

One award may be given to a graduate or professional student for community-engaged scholarship activities.

 Student Team Award:

One student team award may be given for community-engaged scholarship activities. The team must include a faculty or staff member from the University of Connecticut and most of the team members must be students.

Evaluation Criteria

Individual Students: The selection committee will evaluate nominations based on the degree to which a student nominee meets the following criteria in performing community-engaged scholarship activities:

    • Sustained leadership (a minimum of two semesters) with responsibilities that have progressively increased over time;
    • Innovative and/or entrepreneurial ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities;
    • Evidence of the impact on a community served and
    • Demonstrated intellectual, educational, professional, and personal development due to the experience.

Team of Students: The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a nominated team meets the following criteria in performing community-engaged scholarship activities: 

    • Sustained leadership (a minimum of two semesters) in working with the public and/or with external organizations; 
    • Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities; 
    • Documented excellence in extending University knowledge; 
    • Evidence of measurable outcomes or/and the impact on the community served; 
    • Evidence of impact on scholarship/research, instruction, and curriculum development, or evidence of national significance in the field or community; and 
    • Consideration will be given to projects that encourage participation from multiple stakeholders. 

    Community Partner Award

        Community Partner Application Form

        One award may be given to a community individual, organization, or group collaborating with University of Connecticut members on community-engaged scholarship projects demonstrating significant impact. 

        Eligibility: This award is open to community members who, in collaboration with University of Connecticut members, have demonstrated significant contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished community-engaged scholarship. Community partners who have received this award in the past are not eligible, and self-nominations are not accepted. 

        Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations based on the degree to which a community partner nominee meets the following criteria in performing community-engaged scholarship activities:

        • Sustained activity (minimum of five years) with University of Connecticut members that involves collaborative work with the public and/or with external organizations;
        • Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities and the educational experience of University of Connecticut students and
        • Evidence of impact on the community served and the University of Connecticut.

        Note: Community partners are also eligible for the Institutional Transformation Awards.

        Please refer to the website for additional details and specific forms. s.uconn.edu/EngagementAwards

        Nomination Materials: 

        • Nominator and Nominee’s information. 
        • Purpose of the Community-University Partnership (Max 500 words). 
        • Provide at least one example of how reciprocity is enacted through the partnership (Max 500 words). 
        • Length of Partnership 
        • Impact on the community (300 words) 
        • Impact on the campus (300 words) 
        • Grant funding, if relevant 
        • If applicable, please enter the number of: 
        • UConn faculty involved 
        • UConn staff involved 
        • UConn students involved annually 
        • If applicable, list the titles of courses linked to the partnership. 

                        Institutional Transformation Award

                            Institutional Transformation Application Form

                            Eligibility:  UConn employees (i.e., faculty, deans, staff, or executive) or partners (e.g., UConn Foundation employees, alums, State employees) as individuals or teams. Individuals or units who have received an individual community-engaged scholarship award in the previous five years are not eligible.

                            Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations based on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria:

                            • Evidence of intentionality to advance UConn’s strategic plan through public engagement.
                            • Evidence of leadership in planning and implementation of the project/program.
                            • A clear description of the potential societal impact that motivated the institutional change.
                            • Evidence that the institutional change increased UConn’s ability to advance its public engagement reach (e.g., changes in institutional systems and structures, creating opportunities to establish new centers or institutes, increased the ability for sustained reach to under-served communities).

                            Nomination Materials:

                            • Nominator and Nominee’s information. 
                            • Describe the nominee’s work and how it relates to community engagement. Be sure to highlight how it meets all the evaluation criteria listed above. Subheadings for each evaluation criterion are encouraged. (Max 1500 words).  
                            • Supporting documents: 
                              • Two-page curriculum vitae that summarizes honors, publications, or other outputs and recognitions related to community-engaged research. For Teams, A program description (do not include individual CVs of team members). No more than two pages.
                              • At least one letter of support from someone other than the nominator

                                            Faculty Individual and Team Award

                                            Faculty Application Form

                                            Individual Faculty can be nominated to the Research, Teaching, or Community Impact categories at the emerging or distinguished level. Faculty can also be nominated in the Team category.

                                            Eligibility: All faculty members (tenure track, clinical, in-residence, extension, or research) with at least a 50% appointment at the University who have demonstrated significant individual contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished University community-engaged scholarship are eligible for these awards. For these awards, distinguished public engagement directly extends an individual’s university role to the public and non-profit sectors. Individuals who have received a community-engaged scholarship award in previous years are not eligible to receive the award again in the same category or another individual category for five years. 

                                            Emerging faculty is defined as early career faculty who are pre-tenured or within the sixth year of their contracts (if not in a tenure-track appointment). Engagement or service resulting in monetary gain (private consulting) is not considered community-engaged scholarship, nor is work performed as a volunteer in external organizations (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official. 

                                            Research:

                                            Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria in performing community-engaged research:

                                              • Demonstrates an intentional commitment to integrate research or creative work with community engagement.
                                              • Demonstrates a commitment to working with community members through mutually beneficial, reciprocal relationships.
                                              • Implements innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities via research.
                                              • Evidence of measurable outcomes and/or impact on the community served.
                                              • Reflection on the intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth resulting from the experience.
                                              • Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge.
                                              • Demonstrates a level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected.
                                              • Evidence of impact (current or anticipated) on their field through knowledge creation, theory, and practice. In other words, evidence of impact on how the nominee’s work contributed to a deeper understanding of the concepts or practice of community engagement in their field.
                                              • Sustained leadership in working with the public and/or with external organizations (For the emerging faculty award, a minimum of two years at UConn; and for the distinguished faculty award, a minimum of 10 years at UConn).

                                            Supporting documents for Application:  

                                              • Two-page curriculum vitae that summarizes honors, publications, or other outputs and recognitions related to community-engaged research.    
                                              • At least one letter of support from someone other than the nominator.

                                              Teaching:

                                              Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria in performing community-engaged instruction:

                                                • Clear articulation of values and goals for student learning and development related to community-engaged teaching.
                                                • Implements innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities through students' educational experiences.
                                                • Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge.
                                                • Demonstrates a commitment to working with community members through mutually beneficial, reciprocal relationships.
                                                • Evidence of measurable outcomes and/or impact on the community served.
                                                • Reflection on the intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth resulting from the experience.
                                                • Demonstrated a level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected.
                                                • Evidence of impact (current or anticipated) on the institution or field. In other words, evidence of how the nominee’s work contributed to better instruction or curriculum development in their fields or the institution.
                                                • Sustained leadership in working with the public and/or with external organizations (For the emerging faculty award, a minimum of two years at UConn; and for the distinguished faculty award, a minimum of 10 years at UConn).

                                              Supporting documents 

                                                • Two-page curriculum vitae that summarizes honors, publications, or other outputs and recognitions related to community-based teaching.
                                                • At least one letter of support from someone other than the nominator.

                                              Community Impact: 

                                              Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria:

                                                • Evidence that the projects/programs address a meaningful area of need.
                                                • Demonstrates a commitment to working with community members through mutually beneficial, reciprocal relationships.
                                                • Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities via research, educational experience of students, and/or outreach.
                                                • Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge.
                                                • Evidence of measurable outcomes and/or impact on the community served.
                                                • Reflection on the intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth resulting from the experience.
                                                • Demonstrated a level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected.
                                                • Evidence of impact on knowledge creation, theory and practice, instruction and curriculum development, or evidence of local or national significance in the community.
                                                • Sustained leadership in working with the public and/or with external organizations on issues of public concern (For the emerging faculty award, a minimum of two years at UConn; and for the distinguished faculty award, a minimum of 10 years at UConn).

                                              Supporting documents: 

                                                • Two-page curriculum vitae that summarizes honors, publications, or other outputs and recognitions related to community engagement. 
                                                • At least one letter of support from someone other than the nominator.

                                              Team Category

                                              Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations based on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria in performing community-engaged scholarship:

                                                • Evidence that the projects/programs address a meaningful area of need.
                                                • Demonstrates a commitment to working with community members through mutually beneficial, reciprocal relationships
                                                • Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities via research, educational experience of students, and/or outreach.
                                                • Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge.
                                                • Evidence of measurable outcomes or/and impact on the community served.
                                                • Reflection on the intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth resulting from the experience.
                                                • Demonstrated a level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected and
                                                • Evidence of impact on knowledge creation, theory and practice, instruction and curriculum development, or evidence of local or national significance in the community.
                                                • Sustained leadership in working with the public and/or with external organizations on issues of public concern (For the emerging faculty award, a minimum of two years at UConn; and for the distinguished faculty award, a minimum of 10 years at UConn.

                                              Supporting documents: 

                                                •  A program description (do not include individual CVs of team members). No more than two pages.
                                                • At least one letter of support from someone other than the nominator. 

                                                                                    Staff Individual and Team Award

                                                                                        Staff Application Form

                                                                                        Individual Staff can be nominated at the distinguished (One award for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in community engagement activities may be given) or and emerging (One award for early career community engagement activities may be given) category. Staff can also be nominated in the Team category (The team must be comprised of at least two UConn staff members).

                                                                                        Eligibility: All staff and non-faculty research associates with at least a 50% appointment at the University who have demonstrated significant individual contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished University community-engaged scholarship are eligible for these awards. For these awards, a distinguished community-engaged scholarship directly extends an individual’s university role in the public and non-profit sectors.

                                                                                        Individuals who have received a community-engaged scholarship award in previous years are not eligible to receive it again in future years.

                                                                                        Engagement or service resulting in monetary gain (private consulting) is not considered community-engaged scholarship, nor is work performed as a volunteer in an external organization (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official.

                                                                                        Individual Category Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations based on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria for performing community engagement:

                                                                                        • Sustained leadership (for the emerging awards, a minimum of two years at UConn; for the distinguished awards, ten years at UConn) in working with the public and/or with external organizations;
                                                                                        • Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities;
                                                                                        • Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge;
                                                                                        • Evidence of measurable outcomes or/and impact on the community served;
                                                                                        • Demonstrated intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth as a result of the experience; and,
                                                                                        • Demonstrated a level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected.

                                                                                        Supporting documents:

                                                                                          • Two-page curriculum vitae that summarizes honors, publications, or other outputs and recognitions related to community engagement. For Teams, A program description (do not include individual CVs of team members). No more than two pages.
                                                                                          • At least one letter of support from someone other than the nominator.

                                                                                        Team Category Evaluation Criteria: The selection committee will evaluate nominations based on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria for performing community engagement:

                                                                                        • Sustained leadership (for the emerging awards, a minimum of two years at UConn; for the distinguished awards, ten years at UConn) in working with the public and/or with external organizations;
                                                                                        • Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities;
                                                                                        • Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge;
                                                                                        • Evidence of measurable outcomes or/and impact on the community served;
                                                                                        • Demonstrated intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth as a result of the experience; and
                                                                                        • Demonstrated a level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected.

                                                                                        Supporting documents: 

                                                                                            •  A program description (do not include individual CVs of team members). No more than two pages.
                                                                                            • At least one letter of support from someone other than the nominator.

                                                                                                              All Recipients

                                                                                                              Award Recipients