University Outstanding Creative Activity Award

This award shall be given for outstanding creative work. Creative contributions shall include, but not be limited to, the following: painting, sculpture, film, drama, musical composition, choreography of a dance, poetry, a novel, creative non-fiction, creative media programming.

The contribution(s) must have been recognized in the field as having national and/or international significance. This award is not designed to recognize a single major work, but recognizes consistent and sustained contributions to the field.

Award amount: $3,000

College deans submit notifications and completed application materials to AVP for Research by the close of the working day October 1, 2021.

Announcement of awards: TBD

View Award Winners

Criteria for Eligibility

1. Nominees must be tenured or probationary tenure faculty members currently contributing to their discipline(s) through creative expression. Full time administrators (e.g., Deans, Department Chairs/School Directors, Associate Deans, etc.) are not eligible for these faculty awards. Administrators returning to the faculty become immediately eligible for the award. Work created during their time as administrators may be included in their nomination materials. Nominees must have been at Illinois State University for a minimum of three academic years prior to nomination.
   
   
2. Members of the University Research Council are ineligible during their terms of service. Previous recipients of the award are ineligible.

Procedures for Submission of Applications

1. Eligible faculty members may ask to be considered for nomination by the College Research Committee; they may be nominated by any faculty member or department chair/school director in the College; or they may be nominated by the College Research Committee. Application materials are provided to each College Dean for distribution to applicants in the College. Applications are submitted to the College.
   
   
2. The Dean of the College, in conjunction with the College Research Committee, may submit to the University Research Council up to three individuals from among the nominees.
   
   
3. These College nominees must seek a minimum of three solicited letters in support of their applications, including one letter from the Dean. At least one letter should be external. The external evaluator should be able to contextualize the applicant’s work and its significance in light of the award criteria. (see guidelines below)
   
   
4. The College Dean shall submit the completed applications to the Associate Vice President for Research. Requirements for a completed application are listed below. The College nominees should be unranked.
   
   
5. The final evaluation of applications will be made by the University Research Council. During deliberation, the Council may request supporting materials from nominees and/or may ask the College Deans for additional information.
   
   
6. The University Research Council will recommend to the Provost up to two recipients from the list of nominees forwarded to the Council by the College Deans.

Portfolio Preparation

1. Coversheet Form
   
   
2. Letters of Support (3)
1. Each nomination letter must indicate the significance, volume, and quality of the candidate’s creative activity in such a way as to clarify the nominee’s activities for individuals from other disciplines
   
   
2. Letters must address clear evidence of the national or international stature of the candidate’s creative activity. This evidence should reflect recognized evaluation in the form of presentation/performance reviews by recognized critics or experts, books, and other forms of recognition (e.g., invited presentations, juried exhibitions, awards, honors). A fuller listing of these should be provided in the nominee’s curriculum vitae;
   
   
3. Letters of nomination must address the candidate’s continuous record of long-term creative activity.
3. A Full-Career CV
   
   
4. Statement from Nominee summarizing his/her creative activities and contributions, goals for current creative endeavors, and the rationale involved in the development of long-term creative endeavors. The statement should be written at a level appropriate for peers outside the discipline. In addition to a description of current activities, the statement should address the significance of the nominee's total body of creative work to the field. (1 to 1½ pages single-spaced)
   
   
5. No more than three representative pieces of work or products of creative expression (e.g., music CD, written materials, scores, art slides, videotape/DVD, audiotape, work of fiction or non-fiction, piece of artwork, etc.). Please bear in mind that materials are most helpful when they are manageable in scope.

Criteria for Evaluations

1. A nominee's record of creative activity while at Illinois State University will be given greatest weight in the Council's deliberations, although a full career curriculum vitae for each nominee will be evaluated.
   
   
2. Nominees will be evaluated for (a) nationally and internationally recognized creative work, (b) quality of creative work, and (c) contribution to profession/discipline.
   
   
3. Letters of Support/EndorsementNOTE: Please be aware that reviewers of the University Outstanding Creative Activity Award nominees are colleagues with expertise in diverse scholarly fields. It is important to address each nominee's achievements with information clarifying how the work qualifies as outstanding in the particular discipline represented.

Distribution of Award

Each recipient receives $3000, payable as $1000 in salary and $2000 in operating funds. Funds must be expended by the end of the fiscal year in which the award is granted.