Early Career Scholarly Impact Award

The Early Career Scholarly Impact Award recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated early leadership as scholars, as evidenced by a promising record of scholarly/creative achievement and increasing impact.

Up to three faculty will be selected per year and will receive $2,000 each.

Nomination Information

Eligibility

• Pre-tenure faculty on the tenure track, provided they are not undergoing tenure evaluation in the same year.
• Must have three years of service at Virginia Tech at the time of nomination.
• Individuals can be honored with the award only once.

Selection Criteria

Demonstrated evidence of a promising trend in scholarly or creative achievement and increasing impact appropriate to the candidate’s discipline(s) via one or more of the following categories:

• Publication of peer-reviewed journal articles, research monographs, research-oriented texts, or conference proceedings and/or presentations at conferences and workshops;
• Presentation or exhibition of work in the creative, visual, or performing arts;
• Citation counts or other measures of the nominee’s work that demonstrate the work is having substantial positive impact on the field; and
• Receipt of competitive research grants or funding at a level appropriate to the candidate’s field of study.

Nomination Process and Package

Nominations must be received from a dean or their designee.  Submissions are limited to one nomination per academic department or school per submission cycle.

Nomination package required elements:

• Cover page with the following information:
  • Nominee name, rank, time in rank at Virginia Tech, time in rank prior to Virginia Tech (if relevant)
  • Department/school and college
  • Name of award being nominated for
• Nomination letter (two-pages maximum): The nomination letter should be a thorough description of the impact of the nominee’s research and creative activities, explicitly addressing the relevant selection criteria and written in language understood by individuals outside the discipline. The nomination letter may be signed by the department head/chair or school director, or by the dean.
• Curriculum vitae to include lists of publications or performances, grants and contracts, awards, etc.
• Two letters from external references. These references may include collaborators, and typically are from national or international experts in the field (academic, industrial, federal agency, professional association, etc.) attesting to the nominee’s contributions and the impact of their work.  

Nomination Package Submission

Nomination packages must be received from a dean or their designee and should be sent electronically as one single pdf to Robyn Smyth (robyn@vt.edu) by close of business on January 31, 2025.