Trailblazer Award applications for mid-career faculty being accepted through March 15

Applications are now being accepted for Purdue University’s 2024 Trailblazer Award, which recognizes mid-career faculty members whose recent research, scholarship or creative work has made a significant impact and demonstrates excellence in the disciplines of humanities, social sciences and/or information sciences.

The annual award is open only to mid-career faculty in Purdue University Libraries and the colleges of Education, Liberal Arts and Health and Human Sciences. Nominees’ work should be pioneering and innovative.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, March 15. 

Below are details about the award, eligibility, nomination instructions and the review process. 

The Award

The Purdue University Trailblazer Award consists of a monetary prize of $2,000, and the award is bestowed in spring at the annual Faculty Honors Ceremony and Reception.

Who is Eligible

Eligibility includes all tenured associate professors on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus with a maximum of 10 years in rank who focus on humanities, social science and/or information sciences in their work from Purdue University Libraries and the colleges of Education, Liberal Arts and Health and Human Sciences. Previous Trailblazer Award winners are not eligible.

Nomination Instructions

Nomination packets should be submitted electronically as PDFs to facultyaffairs@purdue.edu by 5 p.m. Friday, March 15. The nomination packet should include in the following order:

1. A two-page statement from the nominee describing the trajectory, scope and significance of the candidate’s research program. Highlight recent pioneering work that demonstrates excellence and merits consideration for the award.
2. The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
3. A letter from the department/school head endorsing the nomination.
4. Two letters of recommendation/support from external (non-Purdue) faculty who can assess the impact and significance of the nominee’s contributions to the field.
5. Any additional supporting information (such as reviews or citations) that the candidate considers significant in assessing their accomplishments. 

Review Process

A selection committee, including previous award winners, will review nominations and select a winner in March.