The Office of The Vice President for Research is now accepting nominations for the research awards program, the Exceptional Research Service Awards. This program, consisting of three distinct honors, is designed to recognize outstanding research support staff who provide top-notch service to USC’s faculty and student researchers every day. With award categories for research administrators and technical research staff, the Exceptional Research Service Awards will provide recognition and an honorarium for deserving professionals.

Complete details about each award are available on the Exceptional Research Service Awards program page. Nominations for the 2023 awards are due by 5:00 pm on Monday, February 6, 2023.

The Three Awards

The Exceptional Research Service Awards encompass three separate awards, each geared toward a different population of research support staff working at the University of South Carolina. Students, postdoctoral scholars, tenured/tenure track, clinical track and research track faculty are not eligible for these awards. Previous recipients of these awards are also not eligible.

• The College/Department Research Administration Support Staff Award honors excellent research administrators working inside of academic units at the college or department level. Up to three College/Department Research Administration Support Staff Awards will be given in 2023.

  The Central Service Unit Research Administration Support Staff Award recognizes outstanding research administrators working in the university’s central support offices. One Central Service Unit Research Administration Support Staff Award will be given in 2023.

  The Technical Support Staff Award celebrates exceptional technical research staff working in academic units who directly support the hands-on work of faculty researchers. Up to four Technical Support Staff Awards will be given in 2023.

Further details about each award can be found on the Exceptional Research Service Awards program page.

New for 2023

There are a few changes to the awards program this year.

• Beginning in 2023, previous recipients of any of the three Exceptional Research Service Awards are not eligible to win another award. The Office of Research hopes to recognize as many outstanding staff members with these awards as possible.

  No more than 5 nominations per nominee may be submitted. Any additional nominations will not be considered. Please discuss nominations for these awards with your lab teams to avoid submitting more than necessary.

The Nomination Process

Nominations for the Exceptional Research Service Awards are submitted through the Office of the Vice President for Research submission system at vprinitiatives.research.sc.edu. Faculty members may submit one nomination per award, but may not nominate the same staff member for more than one award. In other words, faculty members may nominate a separate staff member for each of the three awards. No more than 5 nominations per nominee may be submitted. Any additional nominations will not be considered. If reviewers find that a nominee for one award would be a stronger candidate for another award, the nominee may be considered for the award that fits their qualifications best.

To submit a nomination, the nominator should prepare a one-page letter telling the “story” of the exceptional research support they have received from the nominee and explaining why they are deserving of special recognition. The letter of nomination serves as the primary material reviewers will evaluate when deliberating, so it is the most important component of the nomination. Once the letter is prepared, the nominator may log into the nomination system, select the appropriate award contest (from the three award types detailed above), upload the nomination letter, and submit the completed nomination for consideration. Nominators may refer to the Exceptional Research Service Award Nomination Guide (pdf) for step-by-step submission instructions.