New for 2026!
Purpose
For the purpose of these awards, research is broadly understood as activities that create new knowledge or artworks, solve fundamental problems in a discipline, and/or result in the discovery of new facts. The UMass Lowell Awards for Excellence in Research are designed to recognize faculty who have demonstrated outstanding contributions in research and scholarship. Awardees are also effective in sharing this new knowledge and mentoring and training the next generation of scholars.
Presented annually, the UMass Lowell (UML) Office of Research and Innovation will recognize faculty at two different career stages:
- Advanced Career Faculty: recognizes full-time tenured faculty with sustained and significant contributions to their field.
- Early Career Faculty: recognizes full-time, pre-tenure faculty (assistant professors) with exceptional achievements in the early stages of their career and shows great promise for continued success in their field.
Eligibility
The nominee must be a full-time faculty member at UMass Lowell and currently in a tenured or tenure-track position. Self-nominations are welcome. Previous winners of a Research Excellence Award are not eligible for a period of six years.
Each department chair may only write one letter of support for each Research Excellence Award category (Advanced Career and Early Career). For self-nominations, please coordinate with your department chair before submitting an application.
Criteria for Awards
To recognize outstanding researchers and scholars whose work exemplifies excellence in expanding knowledge and advancing societal impact. Award recipients embody the highest standards of innovation, rigor, and contribution to their fields. Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Quality, originality, and significance of their work.
- Strong and influential publication record in leading journals, presses, galleries, or other outlets of the discipline, with evidence of significant citation, readership, or uptake.
- Success in securing competitive funding from external agencies, industry partners, or foundations, demonstrating the reach and sustainability of their work.
- Broader societal or economic impact and engagement, showing how their research contributes to solutions for pressing challenges at local, national, or global levels.
- Leadership and service in the scholarly community, such as receiving prestigious awards or other recognitions and serving on editorial boards, conference committees, review panels, or in professional societies.
- Effective training and mentoring of students and postdoctoral researchers, fostering the next generation of scholars and leaders.
Application Process
Deadline for applications is April 3, 2026. All submissions must be made online through The Faculty Excellence Awards Portal. The submission must include:
- Research Impact Statement (2 pages)
- A personal statement about major research and scholarly contributions, including:
- The quality, originality, and significance of their work
- How their research generates new ideas, solves fundamental problems, or produces new knowledge or works of art
- Evidence of societal, cultural, or policy impact
- Contributions to student training, mentorship, and skill development
- A personal statement about major research and scholarly contributions, including:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) (2 pages)
- Emphasize research productivity and scholarly impact, including:
- Peer-reviewed publications, books, or creative works of artistic merit
- External and internal grants, contracts, or fellowships
- Patents, innovations, or applied outcomes
- Awards, honors, or invited recognitions of research excellence
- Emphasize research productivity and scholarly impact, including:
- Optional Supporting Materials (no more than 5 pages)
- Evidence of research impact such as citation metrics, reviews, media coverage, or adoption of research in policy/industry.
- Documentation of creative works, exhibitions, performances, or other scholarly contributions.
- Examples of mentorship outcomes (for example: student placements, co-authored publications, collaborative projects).
- Letters of Support (submitted directly from the letter writers)
- Three letters of support (no more than 1 page each):
- One from the department chair attesting to the nominee’s impact within UMass Lowell.
- Two from a colleague, collaborator, or external scholar highlighting the nominee’s reputation, originality, and influence.
- Letters should explicitly address the scholarly significance of the nominee’s work and impact to their field.
- Note: A single individual may write no more than one support letter for each award category
- Three letters of support (no more than 1 page each):
The Faculty Excellence Committee will meet to review the nominations and make a recommendation to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development or designee.
Award Winners
The winner of this award will be announced in April 2026. The winner will be invited to present a lightning talk related to research at the Fall 2026 Faculty Symposium. The winner will also receive a $1,000 award. For questions, please email: RD@uml.edu.
The Faculty Excellence Committee embraces and celebrates diversity in all its forms and encourages individuals from underrepresented populations to apply or to nominate others for these awards.