Faculty members who have held an appointment (.50 FTE minimum) with the University of Utah for a minimum of five years are eligible to receive this award. Nominations may be made by any faculty member, department, or college within the University.

• Letter of Nomination (three-page maximum, single-spaced, PDF Format ONLY)
  The Letter of Nomination should speak to the nominee's:
  • Strong record of scholarly publications, creative works, research grants, community-based research, and/or other evidence of research success
  • Evidence of innovation or breakthrough achievement that has had a transformative effect on the nominee's scholarly discipline and/or on society\
  • Convincing and demonstrated history of broadening or enhancing societal impact and sense of community in their discipline, department, and/or research
  • Other relevant and unique accomplishments that further qualify them for the DRA
• Nominee's CV (PDF Format ONLY)
• Letters of Recommendation (PDF Format ONLY)
  Each nominator must provide two letters of recommendation on behalf of the nominee. The letter writers should be people of stature that can adequately speak to the impact of your nominee’s research

DRA nominations are reviewed by a campus-wide committee of the nominee's peers, past DRA awardees, and University senior leadership. Award recommendations are first presented to the SVPR (Senior Vice President for Research). After receiving SVPR approval, award recommendations are presented to the University President. The President provides final approval for all DRA award recommendations.

Nominees are primarily evaluated on the impact and significance of their career research or scholarly work to their field, as well as to the improvement and enrichment of the human condition. Evidence of impact and significance generally includes the following:

• A long and sustained record of research and scholarly publications, creative works, research grants, or community-engaged research.
• A breakthrough, innovation, or achievement that has had a transformative effect on the nominee’s scholarly discipline and/or on society.
• A convincing and demonstrated history of broadening or enhancing societal impact and sense of community in their discipline, department, and/or research.

Research Misconduct: The SVPR Office has a zero-tolerance policy for research misconduct and unprofessional behavior in the research environment, i.e., harassment, bullying, discrimination, etc. Failure to comply with established policies on research misconduct and unprofessional behaviors in the research environment will lead to automatic termination of the awarded project AND automatic ineligibility for all future SVPR funding, program, and resources. Interaction with SVPR staff is considered the research environment and conduct toward SVPR staff before, during, or after the submission process is covered by this policy.