A biweekly publication for faculty and staff

Deadline Looms for Chancellor's Innovation Award Nominees

March 24, 2015

The deadline to submit an idea for the Chancellor’s Innovation Awards is March 31.

The chancellor is looking for ideas and suggestions that could help increase efficiency, enhance working environments or improve customer service.

Chancellor's Innovation Awards is a new program for staff designed to provide well-deserved recognition to individuals who come up with transformative ideas and reinforce the value of innovation to the entire campus community. The timing of this new program is intentional and coincides with ongoing strategic workforce planning that will require novel approaches to campus organizational structures and processes. 

How to submit an idea:

  1. Go to the Chancellor’s Innovation Awards page.
  2. Review the proposal categories, submission process and judging criteria.
  3. Complete the submission form by March 31.

Finalists will be invited to submit presentations (either PowerPoints or two- to three-minute videos) about their proposals. Those presentations will be made available to the campus community via an internal communication channel, and faculty members students and staff members will be invited to view them and vote on the submissions.

Winners will be determined by a combination of popular vote and votes by a chancellor-appointed judging panel. Financial incentives will be awarded as follows:

  • One first-place prize of $5,000
  • One second-place prize of $2,500
  • One third-place prize of $1,000
  • Five honorable mentions of $500

Cash awards are adjusted up to cover tax withholding. Winners will also be invited to a special dinner at University House to discuss their innovations with the chancellor and campus leaders and to develop strategies for implementation.

Remember, the submission deadline is March 31. Don't wait, innovate!

Questions? Email innovationawards@ucmerced.edu.