Postdoctoral Excellence Award

About the Award

Nominations are invited for the 2025 Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Research. This award is offered to recognize the vital role that Postdoctoral Scholars play in maintaining the reputation of excellent research at the University of California, Davis.  A certificate and $500 will be conferred to each awardee. Up to six awards will be made.

The deadline for nominations is February 28, 2025

Please submit all nominations no later than Thursday, February 29th, 2025, by 11:59 pm. For any questions, please email us at psacontact@ucdavis.edu.

  • ELIGIBILITY
  • UC Davis postdoctoral scholars who have a minimum of one year of postdoctoral study at UC Davis, less than six years total postdoctoral experience, and will be in their position until at least April 30, 2024, may be nominated.

    Only individuals appointed in the following title codes are eligible:
    3252 – Postdoctoral Scholar - Employee
    3253 – Postdoctoral Scholar - Fellow
    3254 – Postdoctoral Scholar – Paid-Direct
    3255 - Postdoctoral Scholar – Employee NEX
    3256 - Interim Postdoctoral Scholar-Employee

  • QUALIFICATIONS
  • Nominees must have outstanding research accomplishments. Criteria include, but are not limited to: 
    - Innovation in research and impact on the field
    - Research productivity and quality as a UC Davis postdoctoral scholar, as demonstrated by publications, presentations, awards, etc
    Commitment and activities relative to diversity and inclusion, teaching, mentoring, service, and/or public scholarship/communication to other audiences
  • NOMINATIONS
  • Who may nominate: UC Davis principal investigators, faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students are invited to nominate a distinguished postdoctoral scholar for this award.

    Nominations:
    Nominations must be in the form of a letter describing the attributes and accomplishments of the nominee. The letter should be specific, comprehensive, and no longer than two typewritten pages. It should describe the achievements that set the nominee apart from his or her colleagues, whether in research, collaboration, teaching, mentorship, service, public scholarship or communication. Nominators should include the name, campus department, and email address of the nominee. The nomination letter should be addressed to the Selection Committee for the UC Davis Postdoctoral Excellence Award.

    In addition to the nomination letter, please provide your nominee's
    - Curriculum Vitae
    - Abstract or Research Statement
    - Postdoc statement on commitment and activities relative to diversity and inclusion, teaching, mentoring, service, and/or public scholarship/communication to other audiences (1-2 pages)
  • RESEACH MENTOR LETTER
  • Research mentor letters should...
    - Include a statement of the nominee’s total time as a postdoctoral fellow at UC Davis and elsewhere
    - Indicate the Mentor’s number of current and past postdoctoral scholar trainees
    - State the number of publications and presentations completed as a UC Davis postdoctoral scholar
    - Describe the involvement and initiative of the applicant in research collaborations with other investigators
    - Commitment and activities relative to diversity and inclusion, teaching, mentoring, service, and/or public scholarship/communication to other audiences
    - Summarize all other evidence submitted in conjunction with the nomination. The letter should avoid generalities and provide an informed analysis of the facts supporting the case for distinction in the applicant’s research