Dear Unit Award Chairs,
September marks the beginning of an important period for faculty recognition activities across the university. Many internal award deadlines are now approaching, while nomination cycles for prestigious external awards, fellowships and limited submission opportunities continue throughout the fall. This month's bulletin highlights upcoming opportunities, resources to support nomination efforts and professional development programs designed to strengthen Ohio State's culture of recognition. We encourage you to take time this month to identify faculty accomplishments worthy of recognition and to begin planning for both immediate and longer-term nomination opportunities.
Updates
Updates to the Unit Awards Chair Directory
Please help keep the Unit Awards Chair directory current by sharing any new awards chair, faculty recognition, or related contact updates.
Send the individual’s name, email, department, and college to Travis Sheffler (sheffler.5@osu.edu) so award updates reach the right people.
New Resource: A Quick Eligibility & Readiness Guide for External Faculty Awards
This short guide helps faculty and nominators assess whether an opportunity aligns with a candidate's background, accomplishments, and career stage, while also providing guidance on when it may be beneficial to strengthen a profile before pursuing a particular award.
Unit awards chairs, department chairs, associate deans, and others involved in faculty recognition are encouraged to review it on the Award Support & FAQ webpage.
Upcoming Events
Unit Awards Chair Fall 2026 Meeting on Oct. 7
This meeting is an important opportunity to align on key awards processes, share updates, and strengthen strategies that support faculty recognition across the university.
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Faculty Pathways: Faculty Honorifics and Planning for Recognition – Building the Long Game
Participants will learn how to think strategically about career choices, visibility, service, and scholarly focus; how to align their work with disciplinary and national recognition pathways; and how Ohio State supports faculty throughout the nomination process. Learn more and register.
Wednesday, Oct. 21 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
We want to feature you
Our Faculty Spotlight series seeks to highlight successful award strategies and innovative departmental practices. If you have a story that could inform and inspire your colleagues, please reach out to Travis Sheffler, director of Faculty Honorifics, at sheffler.5@osu.edu, adding "Faculty Spotlight" in the subject line.
Upcoming External Award Deadlines
National Academy of Inventors Senior Membership
- Candidates must hold at least one issued U.S. patent and have at least five years of professional practice or research in their current field.
- Nominations are accepted annually from October through December.
- Self-nominations are allowed, but require a university nomination letter, ideally from a current NAI Fellow or Senior Member, or a senior university leader.
- Interested faculty who are accomplished inventors in the “rising star” stage, rather than at the NAI Fellow level, may contact Travis Sheffler (sheffler.5@osu.edu) to learn more about the NAI Senior Member nomination process.
National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Membership
- NAM nominations are confidential and must originate from a current NAM member outside of Ohio State. While we cannot campaign on behalf of faculty, we are committed to preparing strong candidates through strategic recognition and pathway awards.
Frontiers Planet Prize
- Frontiers Planet Prize recognizes transformational environmental research. Eligible articles must be accepted in a peer-reviewed journal between Nov. 1, 2024, and Oct. 31, 2026.
- Pre-Nomination Process
- Ohio State may submit only three nominees. Official nominations will be submitted by the Office of Faculty Affairs after review and approval.
- Faculty cannot submit directly. Interested faculty should notify their unit awards chair or department chair, who may submit approved pre-nomination materials to Travis Sheffler (sheffler.5@osu.edu) by Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026.
- Unit award chairs and department chairs may submit strong candidates even if faculty have not self-identified.
- Review the 2026 National Champions for examples of competitive work.
- Required Pre-Nomination Materials:
1. Research article aligned with prize criteria.
2. Relevant planetary boundaries addressed.
3. Statement of alignment with the award, 100 words or less.
4. Prize-money impact statement, 150 words or less.
5. Current CV.
Upcoming Internal Award Deadlines
Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching
- Nomination deadline: Oct. 2, 2026
- One of Ohio State's most prestigious teaching awards, recognizing faculty who have made exceptional contributions to student learning through outstanding teaching.
Provost's Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer
- Nomination deadline: Oct. 2, 2026
- Recognizes lecturers who have demonstrated exceptional teaching effectiveness and commitment to student success.
Faculty-to-Faculty Mentorship Award
- Nomination deadline: Oct. 9, 2026
- This award annually recognizes up to six tenure-track, clinical, or research faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to mentoring fellow faculty members at Ohio State.
President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service
- Nomination deadline: Oct. 9, 2026
- Recognizes faculty members whose service contributions have had a significant and lasting impact on the university, their profession, and the broader community.
Distinguished University Professor
- Nomination deadline: Jan. 29, 2027
- Distinguished University Professor is Ohio State's highest faculty honor. The award recognizes tenure-track professors who have demonstrated truly exceptional accomplishments in teaching, research, scholarly or creative work, and service.
We encourage units to begin identifying strong candidates early and planning nominations well in advance of the deadlines. Additional information about Ohio State's faculty awards can be found on the Faculty Awards webpage.
Limited Submission Opportunities
Ohio State’s Office of Corporate and Foundation Engagement manages the Limited Submission Opportunities process for private foundation opportunities. These opportunities are available on the Research Funding and Awards webpage or the Limited Submission Opportunities webpage.
Opportunities:
Aging Grants - RRF Foundation for Aging
- Internal Opening: Aug. 31, 2026
- Internal Closing: Sept. 28, 2026
- Funder Deadline: Nov. 1, 2026
Clinical Investigator Award - Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
- Internal Opening: Sept. 25, 2026
- Internal Closing: Oct. 5, 2026
- Funder Deadline: Jan. 19, 2027
Contact us for support
Our team looks forward to working closely with all of you to support the development of your faculty and to recognize and promote their incredible contributions and achievements.
For questions regarding university‑level awards, please contact Kaprea Johnson johnson.9545@osu.edu. For limited submission inquiries, please contact Cameron Hill at hill.2575@osu.edu. If your unit would like assistance identifying external awards or developing nomination materials, please contact Travis Sheffler at sheffler.5@osu.edu.
All the best,
Kaprea F. Johnson, PhD
Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Recognition
Professor, College of Education and Human Ecology
Travis Sheffler
Director of Faculty Honorifics