GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The Graduate School is excited to award two Graduate Student Research Excellence Awards to graduate students who have served as research assistants and demonstrate outstanding contributions to research and scholarship. The awards recognize excellence in research performance, intellectual initiative, collaboration, professionalism, and commitment to high-quality research. 

Winners will be announced during Graduate Student Month at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition and will receive certificates of recognition and cash prizes. 

Award: Outstanding Research Achievement 

One award is given to a graduate student whose research contributions demonstrate exceptional intellectual engagement, research skills, initiative, and scholarly achievement beyond the standard expectations of the research assistantship. 

Expand all   |   Collapse all  

Eligibility Criteria and Requirements:

  • Must be a current graduate student.
  • Must have been hired on a research assistantship line for at least two semesters from Fall 2024 through Fall 2026.
  • Must have contributed to research activities under the supervision of one or more faculty members or designated RA supervisor(s) during the qualifying period.
  • Research contributions may include, but are not limited to, research design, literature reviews, data collection and analysis, experimentation, archival research, fieldwork, development of research methodologies, scholarly writing, and dissemination of research findings.
  • Applicants from all disciplines are eligible. Research contributions will be evaluated in the context of the responsibilities and expectations of the applicant's assistantship. 

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Evidence of outstanding research contributions that go beyond the standard expectations of the assistantship.
  • Evidence of strong critical thinking, intellectual initiative, creativity, and problem-solving in addressing research questions or challenges.
  • Evidence of excellent research methods, analytical skills, technical expertise, or other discipline-appropriate research competencies.
  • Evidence of contributions to research findings, scholarly products, presentations, publications, reports, or other meaningful research outcomes, as appropriate to the discipline and stage of the project.
  • Evidence of commitment to research integrity, accuracy, ethical practices, and continuous improvement in research effectiveness. 

Application Requirements:

  • Current CV.
  • Research statement explaining the applicant's role in the research project(s), specific contributions, research accomplishments, challenges encountered, and efforts to improve research skills and effectiveness. The statement should distinguish the applicant's individual contributions from those of the broader research team (maximum two pages, single-spaced).
  • A supporting letter from a faculty research supervisor (maximum two pages, single-spaced). The letter should include:
    • Situate the applicant's research experience in the context of the department's research opportunities, expectations, and assistantship responsibilities.
    • Describe the applicant's specific contributions and explain how the work demonstrates achievement beyond standard expectations.
    • Provide concrete examples of the applicant's intellectual initiative, research skills, problem-solving, and impact on the project or scholarly work.
  • A second supporting letter from a faculty member, research collaborator, or administrator familiar with the applicant's research contributions (maximum one page, single-spaced).
  • Supporting research materials demonstrating the applicant's contributions. Applicants should submit no more than three examples, such as a research poster or presentation, a publication or manuscript excerpt, a data analysis or visualization, a research protocol or methodology developed by the applicant, a literature review, an archival or fieldwork product, or a report summarizing research findings. Materials should comply with applicable confidentiality, authorship, and data-sharing requirements. 

Award: Outstanding Research Collaboration and Impact

One award is given to a graduate student whose initiative, collaboration, reliability, and professional contributions substantially support research activities and strengthen the effectiveness of a research team or research environment.

Expand all   |   Collapse all  

Eligibility Criteria and Requirements:

  • Must be a current graduate student.
  • Must have been hired on a research assistantship line for at least two semesters from Fall 2024 through Fall 2026.
  • Must have worked under the supervision of one or more faculty members or designated RA supervisor(s) during the qualifying period.
  • Research responsibilities may include project coordination, laboratory or fieldwork support, research data management, participant recruitment, research documentation, maintenance of research resources, technical assistance, coordination of research activities, and other contributions that enable successful research.
  • Applicants from all disciplines are eligible. Research contributions will be evaluated in the context of the responsibilities and expectations of the applicant's assistantship. 

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Evidence of exceptional support of faculty research, research teams, or broader scholarly activities beyond standard expectations.
  • Evidence of initiative, reliability, organization, sound judgment, and effective problem-solving in carrying out research responsibilities.
  • Evidence of effective collaboration, communication, and contributions to a productive and respectful research environment.
  • Evidence of responsible research practices, including attention to accuracy, confidentiality, ethical requirements, documentation, and the responsible management of research materials or data, as applicable.
  • Evidence of improvements to research processes, project efficiency, team effectiveness, or the quality and accessibility of research resources.
  • Evidence of meaningful contributions that may not be fully reflected in publications or other traditional research outputs. 

Application Requirements:

  • Current CV.
  • Research statement explaining the applicant's assistantship responsibilities, contributions to the research team, examples of initiative and collaboration, challenges encountered, and efforts to improve research processes or effectiveness (maximum two pages, single-spaced).
  • A supporting letter from a faculty research supervisor (maximum two pages, single-spaced). The letter should include:
    • Situate the applicant's research responsibilities in the context of the department's research opportunities and expectations.
    • Describe how the applicant's contributions exceed standard assistantship expectations.
    • Provide specific examples of initiative, collaboration, reliability, problem-solving, and positive impact on the research project or team.
  • A second supporting letter from a faculty member, research collaborator, or administrator familiar with the applicant's work (maximum one page, single-spaced).
  • Supporting materials demonstrating the applicant's research contributions. Applicants should submit no more than three examples, where available and appropriate, such as research documentation or organizational tools developed by the applicant, data management or quality-control procedures, project coordination materials, a research protocol, a technical resource, a research presentation, or evidence of an improvement to a research process. Materials must comply with applicable confidentiality, authorship, and data-sharing requirements. 

Award Category Selection 

Students may be nominated for only one award category per application cycle.  

The nominating faculty member should select the award that best reflects the student's strengths, contributions, and skill sets, as demonstrated by the criteria for Outstanding Research Achievement or Outstanding Research Collaboration and Impact. Each nomination should be submitted for the single category that most appropriately recognizes the student's contributions to research and scholarship. 

Application Deadline

January 29, 2027, by 11:59 pm (CST)

Application Submission

Students must submit their application materials by email to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for their program. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Applicants should indicate which award they wish to be considered for: Outstanding Research Achievement or Outstanding Research Collaboration and Impact.

Important Timeline

The following timeline is proposed to align with the Graduate Student Research Excellence Awards process:

  • January 29, 2027: Students submit application materials to the DGS for their program.
  • February 7, 2027: The DGS completes the review of applications, selects the top nominee for each award category, and submits the nominee's application materials to the Graduate School via email to Melissa Econom (melissa.econom@marquette.edu).
  • February 8, 2027: All nominated applications are forwarded to the review committee.
  • February 15, 2027: The committee selects award recipients.
  • February 19, 2027: Award recipients are announced at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.