Outstanding Postdoc & Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Awards

Postdoctoral Affairs strives to promote postdocs’ professional development and recognize them for their contributions to research, university service, and the BU community. Through our inaugural Outstanding Postdoc Award, we seek to recognize current postdocs who demonstrate excellence in the areas of research, mentoring, teaching, and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

We will select one postdoc from those nominated to receive a special gift and a $1000 travel award*. The recipient will also be recognized at our National Postdoc Appreciation Week events in September.

View our 2024 recipients HERE.

Criteria

The postdoc selected for the award should demonstrate excellence in these areas:

  • Scholarship: scholarly achievements that have made a positive impact in their field.
  • Mentorship: meaningful mentorship and advising or training of peers, undergraduate/graduate students, or research staff
  • Teaching: impactful and highly effective instruction in the classroom (online or in person) or lab while teaching a partial or full course
  • Innovation: strong grant/fellowship writing skills, and meaningful contributions to the advancement of research and pedagogy
  • Leadership: effective leadership while conducting research or instructional projects as well ans other professional settings
  • DEI Commitment: clear examples of fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within their department, college, or professional organizations
Eligibility
  • Postdocs who are nominated must have held a BU postdoctoral appointment for at least 6 months prior to July 1, 2024.
  • NOTE THE CHANGE: Postdoc appointments should be through September 24, 2024. Nominations from postdocs whose appointments end from July 31 (should not have ended earlier than July) till September 24, 2024, may be considered however, those nominees are responsible for their travel and boarding to attend the awards ceremony and to accept the award if selected.
  • Research, accomplishments, should have happened while at Boston University as a postdoc. Prior research accomplishments, service at other institutions will not be considered.
Nomination process

Postdocs are to be nominated by their PIs using the form below. One nomination letter (up to three pages) should be included. This should provide support for the nomination by the postdocs’ PI and additional statements supporting the postdoc’s excellence may be invited from undergraduate and graduate students, research staff, faculty members at BU, or collaborators from other institutions. All statements should be collated into a single nomination letter PDF and have to be submitted through the form below.

Selection process

Applications will be reviewed by an ad hoc committee of invited postdocs, faculty members, and senior administrators based on the criteria above.

NOMINATION FORM

*Travel must occur between July 1, 2024, and May 2025.

    Please direct all questions to postdocs@bu.edu