Faculty Categories

Research Category

• Distinguished Scholar Research Award – One award may be given for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in community-engaged scholarship activities.
• Emerging Scholar Research Award – One award may be given for early career community-engaged scholarship activities.

Teaching Category

• Distinguished Instructor Award - One award may be given for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in community-engaged instruction (e.g., Service Learning and other pedagogical models for partnering with community stakeholders).
• Emerging Instructor Award - One award may be given for early-career achievements in community-engaged instruction (e.g., Service Learning and other pedagogical models for partnering with community stakeholders).

Community Impact Category

• Distinguished Community Award - One award may be given for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in addressing critical societal issues that result in impactful, transformational change in communities through activities that align research, practice, and values in service of the common good (e.g., informing life-transformational policy, informal life-transformative educational experiences, increasing access to under-served communities).
• Emerging Instructor Award - One award may be given for early-career achievements in addressing critical societal issues that result in impactful, transformational change in communities through activities that align research, practice, and values in service of the common good (e.g., informing life-transformational policy, informal life-transformative educational experiences, increasing access to under-served communities).

Team Category

• Faculty Team Award – One faculty team award may be given for community-engaged scholarship activities. The team must be multidisciplinary and comprised of at least two UConn faculty from different departments/schools. The team's focus can be on research, teaching, or both.

Faculty are also eligible for the Institutional Transformation Award. See eligibility and criteria below.

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 is a direct extension of an individual's to the public and non-profit sector. 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 as a volunteer in external organizations (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official. 

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:

• Sustained leadership (for the emerging faculty awards, a minimum of two years at UConn; for the distinguished faculty awards, ten years at UConn) in working with the public and with external organizations;
• Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities via research, the educational experience of students, and outreach;
• Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge;
• Evidence of measurable outcomes or/and the impact on the community served;
• Demonstrated intellectual, professional, personal, and career growth as a result of 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 (Research Award), instruction and curriculum development (Instructor Award), or evidence of local or national significance in the field or community (Community Impact).

Staff Categories

Individual Category

• Distinguished Staff Award – One award may be given for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in community-engaged scholarship activities.
• Emerging Staff Award – One award may be given for early career community-engaged scholarship activities.

Team Category

• Staff Team Award – One staff team award may be given for community-engaged scholarship activities. The team must be comprised of at least two UConn staff.

Staff are also eligible for the Institutional Transformation Award. See eligibility and criteria under this award.

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, distinguished community-engaged scholarship is a direct extension of an individual’s University role to the public and non-profit sector.

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 as a volunteer in an external organization (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official.

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:

• 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 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 the impact on the community served;
• Demonstrated intellectual, professional, personal, and career growth as a result of the experience and
• Demonstrated a level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected.

Student Categories

Individual Category

• 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.

Team Category

• Student Team Award – One student team award may be given for community-engaged scholarship activities. The team should comprise at least two students (undergraduate and/or graduate), and at least one team member must be a faculty or staff member at the University of Connecticut. The majority of the team members must be students.

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.

Evaluation Criteria

Individual Award for 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 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 Award for 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 with external organizations;
• Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities;
• Documented excellence in extending University knowledge;
• Evidence of 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 Category

• Community Partner – One award may be given to a community individual, organization, or group who has worked collaboratively with University of Connecticut on community engaged scholarship activities that demonstrate significant impact.

Community partners are also eligible for the Institutional Transformation Award. See eligibility and criteria below.

Eligibility

Members of the community who, in collaboration with University of Connecticut, have demonstrated significant contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished community engaged scholarship are eligible for this award. Community partners who have received this award in the previous 5 years are not eligible.

Evaluation Criteria

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

• Sustained activity with University of Connecticut (minimum of two years) that involves 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.

The Institutional Transformation Award recognizes individuals, units, or organizations that advance public engagement at UConn at the institutional level. One award will be given to UConn community members or partners for undertaking comprehensive, planned efforts that have transformed UConn’s ability to align teaching, research, practice, and values in service of the common good.

Eligibility: UConn employees (i.e., faculty, deans, staff, or executive) or partners (e.g., UConn Foundation employees, alumni, State employees) as individuals or teams. Individuals or units who have received an individual community-engaged scholarship award in the previous 5 years are not eligible.

Evaluation Criteria

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

• Evidence of planning to advance UConn’s goals for public engagement;
• Evidence of involvement in planning and implementation;
• Clear description of the societal impact that motivated the institutional change; and
• 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, increasing ability for sustained reach to underserved communities).

Eligibility

Members of the community who, in collaboration with the University of Connecticut, have demonstrated significant contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished community-engaged scholarship are eligible for this award. Community partners who have received this award in the previous 5 years are not eligible.

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 with the University of Connecticut (minimum of two years) that involves 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.

Nomination materials

Please refer to each recipient's category for the specific form and supporting materials:

Faculty, staff, and community partners are eligible for the Institutional Transformation award; however, it requires a different form (below).

• Faculty
• Staff
• Students
• Community Partners
• Institutional Transformation

Self-nominations are not accepted.

Submit complete applications to engagement@uconn.edu by Friday, January 26th.

For questions regarding about the process, please contact the Office of Outreach and Engagement: engagement@uconn.edu