Award Categories and Nominations

SRAI Award Categories


The Herbert B. Chermside Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Contribution to Research Administration

The Herbert B. Chermside Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes distinguished and substantial contributions to the development of research administration as a profession.

This award was created and named after an SRAI member who first joined only two years after the Society was formed and then spent the rest of his career working towards the advancement of the profession of research administration. He was known as a mentor to many, and a dedicated research administrator to all.

Distinguishable and recognized contributions to this award may be in the form of any of the following:

  • Publications in research management and administration journals.
  • Speeches concerning research administration and the advancement of the profession before major organizations.
  • Service on committees or agencies which have had a direct and positive impact on research administration.
  • Other activities which have contributed to the development of research administration as a profession.

Nominations for the award are solicited from leaders in colleges and universities, industry, government and the SRAI membership. The nominee does not need to be an SRAI  member. The nominator must be a current SRAI  member. One winner is selected each year.


Hartford-Nicholsen Award

This award was established to recognize SRAI members whose services demonstrate leadership in the Society, and who have made a major, distinguishable contribution which has been of benefit to the entire Society.

Individuals who are nominated for this award have contributed their professional expertise to the Society to help develop, define and promote best practices in research administration.

The contributions an individual has made to show suitability for this award may be in the form of any of the following:

  • Served in a leadership role within SRAI as an officer of a chapter or section, chair of a committee or working group, or member of the Board of Directors.
  • A dedicated SRAI speaker, sharing knowledge and expertise while promoting best practices and development in the field of research administration.

The nominee must be a current SRAI member, nominated by a current SRAI member. Up to three winners can be selected each year.

Excellence Award

This award recognizes SRAI members who have excelled in meeting the Society's purpose of expanding the knowledge and tools of research administration.

This award was established in 1977, in honor of the Society's 10th anniversary.

Recipients of this award have made contributions to the field of research administration within SRAI and their own institution and/or outside organization through the development and expansion of methodology, working applications and tools in an important and fundamental way as demonstrated through:

  • Presentations
  • Teaching and/or mentoring
  • Service to an institution and/or outside organization.
  • Publications

The nominee must be a current SRAI member, nominated by a current SRAI member. Up to three winners can be selected each year.


The Technology Innovation and Application Award

This award was established in 2010 and is open to an individual or a team which showcases and recognizes technological innovations and applications to promote, process or advance research administration operations.

Regardless of the media, innovations significantly move an office forward using technologies that best reflect the goals proposed. The nominee may be an individual or team. The technology may have been developed within one’s own institution/organization or in collaboration with another outside entity.

Nominee(s) does not need to be an SRAI  member. The nominator must be a current SRAI member.


The Partnership Award

This award was established in 2010 to honor and recognize those instrumental in building a partnership across institutions, either nationally, or internationally. 

Nominee(s) demonstrates leadership and cooperation in overcoming barriers to work together as equal partners and in ways that serve as a model for collaborating with others toward shared and commonly held goals in research administration. 

Nominee(s) must be a current SRAI  member. The nominator must be a current SRAI  member.


Award Process FAQs


Questions?

For questions about SRAI Awards and Recognitions, please email membership@srainternational.org.


Information for the Nominator

  • All nominees must be nominated by a current SRAI member.
  • A nominator may only submit one nominee for each award.
  • As a nominator, if you wish to remain anonymous in your nomination, an SRAI staff member will inform the nominee without disclosing your name. This will be done upon request when submitting your nomination form. 
  • A person may receive only one of the below SRAI awards in a given year. If one person is nominated for two awards, the committee chair will contact the nominators to determine the most appropriate award category.