University Research Council

SPIRIT OF INQUIRY AWARDS

Purpose
In support of the University’s belief that the quest for knowledge is the foundation upon which the idea of a university rests, and the purpose that unites both teacher and student, the University Research Council (URC) makes annual DePaul University Spirit of Inquiry Awards. The Awards honor specific research, scholarly or creative achievements that exhibit commitment to that spirit of creative inquiry, which we endeavor to inspire in our students.

The Awards are announced at the University convocation each autumn, individual plaques are awarded, and the awardees’ names are added to a roster of Spirit of Inquiry Award winners in the Executive Offices. The awards also carry a taxable stipend of $2000 each.

The Council encourages the recipients of a Spirit of Inquiry Award to share their research with DePaul colleagues. Awardees may be asked to participate in a lecture, forum or discussion group.

Eligibility
Faculty who have completed research, scholarly, or creative projects. At the time of the award (the autumn following the nomination), faculty members must have completed three full years of teaching at DePaul, and must be full-time faculty.

The Council will bestow a maximum number of eight awards each year, but may choose to make fewer awards, depending on the pool of nominees. Every attempt should be made to distribute awards among the Schools and Colleges; however, there is no set quota per unit, and the Council may choose to award more than one nominee in a unit. Academic units that do not wish to nominate faculty are not required to participate in this program. Academic units that wish to suggest alternative approaches to recognizing excellence in research or scholarly activities for their faculty are most welcome to do so by writing to the Council through the chair.

A Faculty member who receives a Spirit of Inquiry Award from the Council may not be selected again in the five years immediately following. Faculty members may receive research awards from their colleges simultaneously with the URC Award.

Criteria
The Award should recognize activities that demonstrate a significant contribution through creative, innovative, or solid, substantive work. Awards should not be made on the basis of high visibility or the amount of funding of the project, but rather, should recognize research, scholarly, or creative activities of quality, rigor, and originality, and which result in important contributions to their field. The URC will weigh both the impact of the particular contribution on its discipline, field, or profession and the impact of their scholarship on the DePaul intellectual community in making their selection.

Awards may honor an individual's body of work, but in certain circumstances may honor the specific contributions of a faculty member.

Examples of specific work to be recognized might include a book, computer program, article, or musical composition, a contribution to a theatre production (directing, design, acting), a sculpture, or a poem.

Procedures for Selection
Although the schools and colleges are urged to create mechanisms for nominating possible awardees, any dean, department chair, program director, or member of the faculty can make a nomination directly to the URC and self-nominations are possible. Unsuccessful nominations are urged to be resubmitted for future years. All nominations should include the following:

    --at least 3, but no more than 5, support letters including two from DePaul faculty and one from an external scholar;
    --a copy of each nominee’s curriculum vitae or other biographical summary;
    --documentation of the achievement.  The documentation of accomplishments is as an overview provided by the nominee of his/her body of work.  Typically it is organized thematically and briefly characterizes the content of the work, its noteworthy significance, and the nominee’s own evaluation of his contribution to his field or to a broader societal audience.  This section will be 2 to 3 pages.

The Award
Each Spirit of Inquiry Award includes the following items:
    -an honorarium of $2000 (pre-tax), available no sooner than July 1 of the year the award is made
    -an inscribed plaque
    -an inscription on an honor board in the Executive Offices of the University
    -acknowledgement in University publications.

Calendar

February 1:
URC Chair sends reminders to the deans and faculty about the May 1 deadline.

May 1:
Faculty members’ nominations are received electronically (via e-mail) by the Chair of the URC, including all supporting materials.

May 1 to June 1:
URC reviews nomination materials and selects the recipients.

June 1:
Chair notifies the awardees of their selection.

July 1 or after:
Honoraria are distributed.

September:
Awardees are honored at a University convocation event.