About the Award
Nominations are invited for the 2025 Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Research. This award recognizes the vital role that Postdoctoral Scholars play in maintaining the reputation of research excellence at the University of California, Davis. Up to six awards will be made. Awardees will be recognized during the Postdoctoral Research Scholars Symposium on April 25, 2025.
The deadline for nominations is February 28, 2025, 11:59 pm.
For any questions, please email us at psacontact@ucdavis.edu.
- Award 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- Who may nominate
- UC Davis principal investigators, faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students are invited to nominate a distinguished postdoctoral scholar for this award.
- 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
- 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.
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
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) - Selection
- Nominees are reviewed and rated by the officers of the Postdoctoral Scholars Association, who recommend finalists to the Associate Deans of Graduate Studies for joint final deliberations. Awards will be announced the week of April 8, 2025, and presented at the Postdoctoral Scholars Association Annual Symposium, April 25, 2025.
THE 2025 APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED