Through the generosity of the Vilas Trust, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is able to provide an array of named professorships and awards to recognize the outstanding achievements of its faculty members. These awards not only provide generous research funding to those who receive them, but they can — in cases of teacher-scholars who are being recruited or who are likely to be recruited by our competitors — serve as an inducement to stay at UW–Madison. They are among the most prestigious awards granted by the university.
Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Award
These awards provide between $25,000 and $100,000 in flexible funding over three years. The award is meant to recognize research and teaching excellence in faculty who are relatively early in their careers. Typically, an early-career award is appropriate for faculty in the first ten years (approximate) of their career. This could include assistant professors or early-stage associate professors.
Vilas Mid-Career Investigator Award
These awards provide between $25,000 and $100,000 in flexible funding over three years. The award is meant to recognize research and teaching excellence in faculty who are at mid-career. The mid-career designation generally means faculty 10 to 20 years into a career. This could include associate professors or full professors.
Submitting a Nomination
Nomination Criteria
Strong nominations will address:
- The nominee’s current and potential for future excellence in research and teaching
- Retention aspects, if relevant
Deadline
Applications are accepted until March 1, 2023. To be considered for the first round of review, applications must be submitted by Oct. 31, 2022. Most awards will be distributed in the first round. Dean’s Office will be notified of outcomes for all nominees following final review in March.
Application Process
The Dean’s Office submits nominations to the Office of the Provost.
- Create a single PDF file for each nomination that includes:
- Dean’s cover memo stating support for the nomination and ranking, if more than one person is being nominated
- The nomination from the department, school, college, or division (two to three pages)
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae
- Any additional relevant materials
- Name the PDF file “NomineeLastName-SchoolCollegeDivision-DateSubmitted” (for example, Smith-Education-2022-09-13.pdf)
- Upload the file to the Early Career Box folder or the Mid-Career Box folder.
- Representatives from the Office of the Provost review proposals and notify the Dean of their decision.