Staff Recognition and Awards for Schools, Colleges, and Units

Across our entire system—including the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, as well as Michigan Medicine—our people drive the excellence, innovation, and care that define U-M. This page serves as a comprehensive directory of the diverse awards, honors, and formal appreciation programs that celebrate the incredible contributions of our dedicated faculty and staff members.

Carol Hollenshead Inspire Award for Excellence in Promoting Equity and Social Change

  • Eligibility & Description: Awarded to faculty, staff, and students (individuals or groups) whose sustained efforts result in greater equity across gender, race, class, age, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Winners are required to deliver a 5–6 minute talk.

  • Contact: CEW+

  • Award Amount: $1,000 for individuals; $2,000 for groups

  • Deadline: October 23, 2023

Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Staff Recognition Awards

The following staff awards are administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR).

  • Research Administrator Recognition Award

  • Notes: Open to non-OVPR regular non-faculty staff. 

  • Research Technical Staff Recognition Award

  • Research Support Recognition Award

  • Research Staff Safeguard Recognition Award

  • Research Leadership Recognition Award

  • Research Data Management and Analysis Staff Recognition

General Eligibility: Research Staff awards are open to all regular, non-faculty staff members employed by any unit across the University of Michigan’s three campuses (unless specified otherwise). Students, tenured/tenure-track, clinical track, and research track faculty are not eligible. Award Amount for All Categories: $1,000 Deadline for All Categories: February 20, 2026

President's Award for Distinguished Service in International Education

Eligibility & Description: Celebrates the extraordinary efforts of faculty and staff who advance international education for U-M students. Note that this award focuses specifically on international education initiatives rather than internationally-oriented research.

Contact: [email protected]

Deadline: February 13

Willie Hobbs Moore Awards

Eligibility & Description: Established by the University of Michigan Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) office, these awards honor faculty, staff, and students demonstrating excellence in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within STEM fields. The program features four annual awards named after Willie Hobbs Moore—the first African American woman at U-M to earn a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering, and the first in the country to earn a PhD in physics.

Contact: Women in Science & Engineering ([email protected])

Award Amount: Winners receive a gift of recognition; there is no monetary prize or scholarship associated with this program.

Deadline: February 28 (Nominations open by February 1 each year, with the ceremony held in early to mid-April).

Notes: Self-nominations are highly encouraged. No letters of support are required, and the nomination statement is brief (300 words).

Help Us Grow This Directory

This page is new as of June 2026. Special Thanks to UMSI staff for sharing this link, serving as a starting point to crowdsource listings. Don't see your team's recognition program listed here? We want to ensure every corner of the university is represented, so please share your school, college, unit, or organization's awards by submitting them through our Recognition Information Form via Asana.