Guidelines and eligibility

Research awards

Use the buttons to expand or collapse the section.

• Research Translation Award

  This award recognises a UTS researcher or team (both academic and professional staff) who have demonstrated excellence in translating research for use beyond academia, or who have made substantial and externally validated progress toward a specific translation outcome. Translation takes many forms, and this award is open to all pathways, including but not limited to:

  • Translating research into clinical practice and patient care protocols.
  • Developing new processes, materials, or techniques for product production.
  • Influencing policy, legislation, or government service delivery.
  • Facilitating social change through evidence-based interventions.
  • Influencing or altering professional and creative practices.
  • Tackling environmental challenges and practices.
  • Integrating new digital technologies into current products or services.
  • Commercialising new technologies to disrupt or enhance a sector.

  A nomination may describe research that has already been adopted by others outside academia, or research that has not yet reached adoption but has made clear, externally validated progress toward a specific translation outcome. In either case, the nomination must tell a convincing story: of excellent research, a deliberate and well-executed translation effort, and meaningful engagement with the people or organisations the research is intended to benefit.

  Nominations describing progress rather than achieved adoption must demonstrate that progress through concrete external evidence. Internal milestones, applications in preparation, or expressions of informal interest are not sufficient.

  Nominees must provide information about the research underpinning the nomination and evidence of the activities and processes undertaken to actively pursue translation. The nomination must explain how the research activities support the UTS culture of excellence and align with one or more of the Eight Characteristics of Research at UTS.

  Selection criteria

  Nominations must address each of the following criteria.

  Effective research translation (40%)

  • Explain the end-user problem or opportunity that the research aimed to address, including why it arises, its consequences, and its scale, who is affected, and to what degree.
  • Describe the approach taken to proactively translate the research for the benefit of those outside academia, including how external stakeholders and end-users were engaged throughout the process.
  • Explain how the original research needed to be adjusted, evolved, or de-risked for it to be effectively adopted or to progress toward adoption.
  • Discuss any challenges or obstacles encountered and how they were managed.
  • Nominations describing research that has been adopted must provide evidence of the research in use: testimonials from end users, copies of relevant agreements, reports or protocols, documented changes to practice, policy or clinical care, or other appropriate demonstrations of adoption and the benefits it has delivered.
  • Nominations describing progress toward adoption must provide evidence of external validation of that progress. Acceptable evidence includes a formal agreement with a named external organisation (research contract, MoU, letter of commitment, or equivalent); confirmed co-investment or co-funding from an external organisation; a successful application for translation-oriented funding in which the translation opportunity was central to the case; or formal confirmation from a named external organisation of intent to adopt, licence, or build upon the research.
  • Nominations must clearly describe the specific translation outcome being pursued, the stage of progress reached, and the realistic pathway to adoption. The panel will assess the credibility and significance of the progress made, not the ambition of the intended outcome.

  Originality and significance of the research (30%)

  • Describe the fundamental research and illustrate how it has contributed to new knowledge and pushed the boundaries of the discipline.
  • Explain the innovative aspects of the research and how it tackles the problem faced by the end user.

  Research excellence (20%)

  • Include evidence of excellence in relation to the nominated research. This may include information related to measures of esteem, honours and awards/prizes, and any other evaluations of the research which are appropriate to demonstrating excellence.
  • Research nominated for this award must have been published in internationally respected, externally refereed outlets (noting that this includes national publishing houses and journals of international standing). Provide details of these publications, including citation data where appropriate.
  • Research that has generated non-traditional research outputs is considered under this criterion. Here, nominees should describe these outputs and explain how they represent research excellence in their field. The nominator should reinforce this assessment of non-traditional research outputs.
  • Research that enhances our expertise in leading practice-based research.
  • Evidence of:
    • Competitive external research funding, either secured to support the nominated research or awarded due to the successful outcomes of that research, OR
    • External research funding from sources other than competitive grants (e.g. contract research) and ensuring the funder's satisfaction, such as through additional funding or written endorsement of their contentment.

  Contribution to the UTS culture of excellence (5%)

  As a member of the UTS community, staff are expected to uphold the principles of good citizenship by being generous with their assistance, supporting others, and collaborating with colleagues in matters related to research, learning and teaching, knowledge transfer, and contributing to the overall benefit of the University. Examples of good citizenship and conduct include:

  • Actively engaging with colleagues and accepting delegated responsibilities.
  • Building positive working relationships with colleagues and others.
  • Meeting obligations.
  • Compliance with the University’s policies.
  • Respect for colleagues at every level.
  • Making a positive contribution to meetings or training events.
  • Demonstrating leadership in promoting work-life balance.
  • Fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring.
  • Supply evidence of commitment to the principles of good citizenship.

  Align with the eight characteristics of research at UTS (5%)

  The UTS Research Strategy outlines eight characteristics that underpin and inspire our work and career development at UTS. These characteristics are fundamental to the UTS Research Strategy and the roles of academic staff, professional staff, and Higher Degree Research students. Nominees should select one or more of these characteristics and briefly explain how their chosen activities reflect that/those characteristic(s).

• Supervisor of the Year Award

  Quality supervision is crucial to the success of any research candidature, including the timely completion of milestones and the development of suitable academic and research integrity practices. This award recognises an exceptional research supervisor and the vital role they play in supporting the research achievements and development of talented Higher Degree Research candidates.

  Nominees (research supervisors) must be nominated by a former student or a current student who has submitted the final draft of their thesis and is awaiting the outcome. The thesis submission must be the final submission after an assessor review has taken place, and all revisions to the thesis have been made. Nominations in Symplectic must be completed by the nominee (research supervisor), and the former student or current student must fill out the Nominator’s Statement of Support. Only one nomination per supervisor will be accepted; therefore, it is important for nominators to coordinate support for the application among their peers.

  The performance of nominees should be described in relation to each of the criteria below. It is crucial that descriptions indicate how the nominees’ activities demonstrate excellence regarding the criteria. Moreover, the nomination must address how the research activities contribute to the UTS culture of excellence and align with one or more of the Eight Characteristics of Research at UTS.

  Selection criteria

  Nominations must address each of the following criteria.

  Sustained and outstanding results of supervision (25%)

  • Please provide evidence of sustained and outstanding results from the nominated supervisor, such as whether students from diverse backgrounds have been encouraged to pursue a doctorate. What achievements have the research students accomplished?
  • Provide evidence of the nominee delivering constructive employment and career advice after graduation.

  Supervision innovation (25%)

  • Please provide evidence of the pioneering approach taken by the nominated supervisor. What has the nominee accomplished that goes above and beyond what is expected of a good supervisor?
  • How have they employed the UTS supervisory panel approach to deliver innovative and high-quality supervision?

  Dedication (20%)

  • Provide clear evidence of the nominee’s enthusiasm for the role and their willingness to go the extra mile to assist students in navigating challenges, whether academic or otherwise.

  Academic leadership (20%)

  • Provide evidence of the nominee’s efforts in constructively challenging students intellectually and assisting them in making significant contributions to their academic field.

  Contribution to the UTS culture of excellence (5%)

  As a member of the UTS community, staff are expected to uphold the principles of good citizenship by being generous with their assistance, supporting others, and collaborating with colleagues in matters related to research, learning and teaching, knowledge transfer, and contributing to the overall benefit of the University. Examples of good citizenship and conduct include:

  • Actively engaging with colleagues and accepting delegated responsibilities.
  • Building positive working relationships with colleagues and others.
  • Meeting obligations. 
  • Compliance with the University’s policies.
  • Respect for colleagues at every level.
  • Making a positive contribution to meetings or training events.
  • Demonstrating leadership in promoting work-life balance.
  • Fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring.
  • Supply evidence of commitment to the principles of good citizenship.

  Align with the eight characteristics of research at UTS (5%)

  The UTS Research Strategy outlines eight characteristics that underpin and inspire our work and career development at UTS. These characteristics are fundamental to the UTS Research Strategy and the roles of academic staff, professional staff, and Higher Degree Research students. Nominees should select one or more of these characteristics and briefly explain how their chosen activities reflect that/those characteristic(s).

• Early Career Research Excellence Award

  This award is for an outstanding piece of research conducted by an early career researcher (ECR). Nominees are eligible for this award if, at the closing date for nominations, no more than five years have passed since the conferral of their PhD. The research submitted for consideration should demonstrate excellence relative to both the duration of the career and available opportunities.

  Nominees must provide information about the research underpinning their nomination and present evidence of its broad contributions to the research field. The assessment also considers the nominee’s potential to become a research leader. Furthermore, the nomination must discuss how the research activities contribute to the UTS culture of excellence and align with one or more of the Eight Characteristics of Research at UTS.

  Consideration will be given to an eligibility exemption for verifiable career disruptions. Eligible career disruptions align with those endorsed by the Australian Research Council.

  Selection criteria

  Nominations must address each of the following criteria.

  Originality and significance of the research (30%)

  • Describe the research and demonstrate how it has contributed to new knowledge and to advancing the boundaries of the discipline.
  • Describe how the research is innovative.

  Research excellence (30%)

  • Include evidence of excellence in relation to the nominated research. This may include information related to measures of esteem, honours and awards/prizes, and any other evaluations of the research which are appropriate to demonstrating excellence.
  • Research nominated for this medal must have been published in internationally respected, externally refereed outlets (noting that this includes national publishing houses and journals of international standing). Provide details of these publications, including citation data where appropriate.
  • Research that has generated non-traditional research outputs is considered under this criterion. Here, nominees should describe these outputs and explain how they represent research excellence in their field. The nominator should reinforce this assessment of non-traditional research outputs.
  • Research which enhances our expertise in leading practice-based research.
  • Demonstrate evidence of impact and engagement outside the University as it relates to this research. Research impact is the contribution that research makes to the economy, society, environment, or culture, beyond the contribution to academic research.
  • Where applicable, describe how the plan for research impact was developed, who has benefitted from the research, and how it reached the end user (view a CSIRO case study example).
  • Evidence of:
    • Competitive external research funding, secured either to support the nominated research or awarded because of the successful outcomes of the research, OR
    • External research funding from sources other than competitive grants (e.g. contract research) and the satisfaction of the funder, for example through further funding or written endorsement of their satisfaction.

  Future research leader (30%)

  • Provide evidence of:
    • Building peer and external networks.
    • Community outreach.
    • The nominee’s developing leadership capabilities.
    • The nominee’s efforts to champion junior researchers.

  Contribution to the UTS culture of excellence (5%)

  As a member of the UTS community, staff are expected to uphold the principles of good citizenship by being generous with their assistance, supporting others, and collaborating with colleagues in matters related to research, learning and teaching, knowledge transfer, and contributing to the overall benefit of the University. Examples of good citizenship and conduct include:

  • Actively engaging with colleagues and accepting delegated responsibilities.
  • Building positive working relationships with colleagues and others.
  • Meeting obligations.
  • Compliance with the University’s policies.
  • Respect for colleagues at every level.
  • Making a positive contribution to meetings or training events.
  • Demonstrating leadership in promoting work-life balance.
  • Fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring.
  • Supply evidence of commitment to the principles of good citizenship.

  Align with the eight characteristics of research at UTS (5%)

  The UTS Research Strategy outlines eight characteristics that underpin and inspire our work and career development at UTS. These characteristics are fundamental to the UTS Research Strategy and the roles of academic staff, professional staff, and Higher Degree Research students. Nominees should select one or more of these characteristics and briefly explain how their chosen activities reflect that/those characteristic(s).

• Research Leadership and Development Award

  This award aims to recognise and encourage an individual researcher who is on the path to becoming a research leader. The nominee is typically a mid-career researcher (approximately 5–15 years post-PhD) who demonstrates evidence of being a research leader and a champion of research development. Evidence of the nominee’s research excellence will be evaluated. Additionally, the nomination must explain how the research activities contribute to the UTS culture of excellence and align with one or more of the Eight Characteristics of Research at UTS.

  Selection criteria

  Nominations must address each of the following criteria.

  Leadership and Development activities (60%)

  Provide evidence of:

  • A research vision that has delivered results.
  • Teamwork, mentoring and training of peers, early career researchers and research degree students.
  • How the nominee has helped integrate younger researchers into the wider research community, within and beyond their own research community and UTS, including post PhD employment.
  • How the nominee has implemented innovative skills development programs and supported broader programs for researcher development outside their immediate unit.
  • The nominee’s contributions to the development and strengthening of institutional and local ECR strategy and policy.
  • The nominee’s capacity for building peer networks and external collaborations.

  Research excellence (30%)

  • Include evidence of excellence regarding the nominated research. This may encompass information related to measures of esteem, honours, and awards/prizes, along with any other relevant evaluations of the research that appropriately demonstrate excellence.
  • Research nominated for this medal must have been published in internationally respected, externally refereed outlets, which includes national publishing houses and journals of international standing. Please provide details of these publications, including citation data where appropriate.
  • Research that has generated non-traditional research outputs is considered under this criterion. Nominees should describe these outputs and explain how they represent research excellence in their field. The nominator should reinforce this assessment of non-traditional research outputs.
  • Demonstrate evidence of impact and engagement outside the University as it relates to this research. Research impact is the contribution that research makes to the economy, society, environment, or culture, beyond the contribution to academic research.
  • Where applicable, describe how the plan for research impact was developed, who has benefitted from the research, and how it reached the end user (view a CSIRO case study example).
  • Provide evidence of competitive external research funding, secured either to support the nominated research or awarded because of the successful outcomes of the research, OR
  • Evidence of external research funding from sources other than competitive grants (e.g. contract research) and the satisfaction of the funder, for example through further funding or written endorsement of their satisfaction.

  Contribution to the UTS culture of excellence (5%)

  As a member of the UTS community, staff are expected to uphold the principles of good citizenship by being generous with their assistance, supporting others, and collaborating with colleagues in matters related to research, learning and teaching, knowledge transfer, and contributing to the overall benefit of the University. Examples of good citizenship and conduct include:

  • Actively engaging with colleagues and accepting delegated responsibilities.
  • Building positive working relationships with colleagues and others.
  • Meeting obligations.
  • Compliance with the University’s policies.
  • Respect for colleagues at every level.
  • Making a positive contribution to meetings or training events.
  • Demonstrating leadership in promoting work-life balance.
  • Fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring.
  • Supply evidence of commitment to the principles of good citizenship.

  Align with the eight characteristics of research at UTS (5%)

  The UTS Research Strategy outlines eight characteristics that underpin and inspire our work and career development at UTS. These characteristics are fundamental to the UTS Research Strategy and the roles of academic staff, professional staff, and Higher Degree Research students. Nominees should select one or more of these characteristics and briefly explain how their chosen activities reflect that/those characteristic(s).

• Research Excellence through Collaboration Award

  This is awarded to a UTS researcher or a team of UTS researchers who have developed and maintained a research collaboration, either within UTS or with researchers from other universities and/or research organisations. This collaboration must have led to significant outcomes, particularly in the creative industries or practices. The award will recognise outstanding research that involves a multi- or trans-disciplinary team of collaborators across two or more UTS faculties or units in disciplines that are traditionally unrelated. Nominations must highlight how the research activities contribute to UTS's culture of excellence and align with one or more of the Eight Characteristics of Research at UTS.

  Eligibility

  The research entered may be a single project or a program of research. External collaborators should not be included as nominees; however, the nomination must include a letter of support from the external collaborator describing the outcomes and benefits of the collaboration. This must not exceed two pages.

  Selection criteria

  Nominations must address each of the following criteria.

  Collaboration (40%)

  • Demonstrate the strength of the collaboration and evidence of teamwork.
  • Provide evidence of leadership within the collaboration.
  • Describe how the research outcomes were only possible because of the collaboration.

  Research significance and impact (30%)

  • Demonstrate evidence of the collaboration, and the benefits and impact that it brings to the University.
  • Provide evidence of learning experiences being shared for use in future collaborations.
  • Provide evidence of output/outcomes from the collaboration including publications, research quality metrics and impact on society/industry e.g. citations, external research funding, industry scholarships and supervision of research degree candidates, which resulted from this collaboration.

  Research excellence (20%)

  Include evidence of:

  • Excellence in relation to the nominated research. This may include information related to measures of esteem, honours and awards/prizes, and any other evaluations of the research, which are appropriate to demonstrating excellence.
  • Research nominated for this medal must have been published in internationally respected, externally refereed outlets (noting that this includes national publishing houses and journals of international standing). Provide details of these publications, including citation data where appropriate.
  • Research that has generated non-traditional research outputs is considered under this criterion. Here, nominees should describe these outputs and explain how they represent research excellence in their field. The nominator should reinforce this assessment of non-traditional research outputs.
  • Where applicable, describe how the plan for research impact was developed, who has benefitted from the research, and how it reached the end user (view a CSIRO case study example).
  • Provide evidence of competitive external research funding, secured either to support the nominated research or awarded because of the successful outcomes of the research; or
  • Evidence of external research funding from sources other than competitive grants e.g. contract research and the satisfaction of the funder, for example through further funding or written endorsement of their satisfaction.

  Contribution to the UTS culture of excellence (5%)

  As a member of the UTS community, staff are expected to uphold the principles of good citizenship by being generous with their assistance, supporting others, and collaborating with colleagues in matters related to research, learning and teaching, knowledge transfer, and contributing to the overall benefit of the University. Examples of good citizenship and conduct include:

  • Actively engaging with colleagues and accepting delegated responsibilities.
  • Building positive working relationships with colleagues and others.
  • Meeting obligations.
  • Compliance with the University’s policies.
  • Respect for colleagues at every level.
  • Making a positive contribution to meetings or training events.
  • Demonstrating leadership in promoting work-life balance.
  • Fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring.
  • Supply evidence of commitment to the principles of good citizenship.

  Align with the eight characteristics of research at UTS (5%)

  The UTS Research Strategy outlines eight characteristics that underpin and inspire our work and career development at UTS. These characteristics are fundamental to the UTS Research Strategy and the roles of academic staff, professional staff, and Higher Degree Research students. Nominees should select one or more of these characteristics and briefly explain how their chosen activities reflect that/those characteristic(s).

• Research Excellence through Partnership Award

  This award is given to a UTS researcher or a team of UTS researchers who have developed and maintained a research partnership resulting in significant outcomes, particularly in creative industries or practices. This award category aims to recognise outstanding research involving external partnerships with industry, community groups, governments, councils, NGOs, and not-for- profit organisations – collaborating with individuals and organisations that are primarily not engaged in research themselves. The nomination must demonstrate how the research activities contribute to the UTS culture of excellence and align with one or more of the Eight Characteristics of Research at UTS.

  Eligibility

  The research may consist of a single project or a program of research. External partners should not be included as nominees; however, the nomination must include a letter of support from the external partner outlining the outcomes and benefits of the partnership. This letter should not exceed two pages.

  Selection criteria

  Nominations must address each of the following criteria.

  Collaboration (40%)

  • Demonstrate the strength of the partnership and evidence of teamwork.
  • Provide evidence of leadership within the partnership.
  • Describe how the research outcomes were only possible because of the partnership.

  Research significance and impact (30%)

  • Provide evidence of the partnership, along with the benefits and impact it brings to the University.
  • Share evidence of learning experiences for future partnerships.
  • Provide evidence of the output and outcomes from the partnership, including publications, research quality metrics, and the impact on society and industry. For example, this may include citations, external research funding, industry scholarships, and supervision of research degree candidates that resulted from this partnership.

  Research excellence (20%)

  Include evidence of:

  • Excellence concerning the nominated research may encompass information relating to measures of esteem, honours and awards/prizes, and any other evaluations of the research that are relevant to demonstrating excellence.
  • Research nominated for this medal must have been published in internationally respected, externally refereed outlets, which includes national publishing houses and journals of international standing. Please provide details of these publications, including citation data where appropriate.
  • Research that has produced non-traditional outputs falls under this criterion. Here, nominees should outline these outputs and explain how they exemplify research excellence in their field. The nominator should bolster this evaluation of non-traditional research outputs.
  • Where applicable, outline how the research impact plan was developed, who has benefitted from the research, and how it reached the end user (view a CSIRO case study example).
  • Provide evidence of competitive external research funding, secured to either support the nominated research or awarded due to the successful outcomes of the research; or
  • Evidence of external research funding from sources other than competitive grants, such as contract research, and the satisfaction of the funder, for instance through further funding or written endorsement of their satisfaction.

  Contribution to the UTS culture of excellence (5%)

  As a member of the UTS community, staff are expected to uphold the principles of good citizenship by being generous with their assistance, supporting others, and collaborating with colleagues in matters related to research, learning and teaching, knowledge transfer, and contributing to the overall benefit of the University. Examples of good citizenship and conduct include:

  • Actively engaging with colleagues and accepting delegated responsibilities.
  • Building positive working relationships with colleagues and others.
  • Meeting obligations.
  • Compliance with the University’s policies.
  • Respect for colleagues at every level.
  • Making a positive contribution to meetings or training events.
  • Demonstrating leadership in promoting work-life balance.
  • Fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring.
  • Supply evidence of commitment to the principles of good citizenship.

  Align with the eight characteristics of research at UTS (5%)

  The UTS Research Strategy outlines eight characteristics that underpin and inspire our work and career development at UTS. These characteristics are fundamental to the UTS Research Strategy and the roles of academic staff, professional staff, and Higher Degree Research students. Nominees should select one or more of these characteristics and briefly explain how their chosen activities reflect that/those characteristic(s).

• Research Management and Development Award (Professional Staff)

  For an outstanding contribution or initiative in support services that has enhanced research capability and/or development at either Faculty, School, Discipline, Institute, or UTS level. This award is open to individuals or teams of professional staff across UTS who promote research excellence. Furthermore, the nomination must detail how the research activities contribute to the UTS culture of excellence and align with one or more of the Eight Characteristics of Research at UTS.

  Selection criteria

  Nominations must address each of the following criteria.

  Initiative (30%)

  Describe how the nominee/team has:

  • Demonstrated leadership within their team or across the UTS research community.
  • Demonstrated creativity in the research development initiative and/or research capability at UTS.
  • Developed or enhanced processes and procedures.

  Performance (contribution) (30%)

  • Provide evidence that the quality of work or service delivered by the nominee or team has exceeded the normal responsibilities of the position and has resulted in successful outcomes for the associated research program or team.
  • Demonstrate a significant and sustained effort to improve systems and bolster support.

  Relationship excellence (30%)

  • Provide evidence of a proven ability to establish and sustain productive collaborative relationships and research networks throughout UTS.
  • Demonstrate the strength of the partnership and provide evidence of teamwork.

  Contribution to the UTS culture of excellence (5%)

  As a member of the UTS community, staff are expected to uphold the principles of good citizenship by being generous with their assistance, supporting others, and collaborating with colleagues on matters related to research, learning and teaching, knowledge transfer, and contributing to the overall benefit of the University. Examples of good citizenship and conduct include:

  • Actively engaging with colleagues and accepting delegated responsibilities.
  • Building positive working relationships with colleagues and others.
  • Meeting obligations.
  • Compliance with the University’s policies.
  • Respect for colleagues at every level.
  • Making a positive contribution to meetings or training events.
  • Demonstrating leadership in promoting work-life balance.
  • Fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring.
  • Supply evidence of commitment to the principles of good citizenship.

  Align with the eight characteristics of research at UTS (5%)

  The UTS Research Strategy outlines eight characteristics that underpin and inspire our work and career development at UTS. These characteristics are fundamental to the UTS Research Strategy and the roles of academic staff, professional staff, and Higher Degree Research students. Nominees should select one or more of these characteristics and briefly explain how their chosen activities reflect that/those characteristic(s).