Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

Chancellor's Award for Excellence in  Undergraduate Research

Congratulations to the 2024 Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research awardees!

Sarah Grimes - Design; Art History

Anna Kolesov - Biomedical Engineering

Alexandra Serna Godoy - Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior

Honorable Mention: 

Chloe Bolanos - Animal Science

The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research is an annual award instituted in 1994. The award recognizes outstanding undergraduate students for their research, scholarship or creative activity tied to any academic subject and performed while at UC Davis.  Successful submissions should clearly demonstrate and effectively communicate the outstanding contributions to research and discovery in their discipline, with an emphasis on the student's independent contributions.

Nominations are also accepted for the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research in three categories: faculty, postdoctoral scholar or project scientist/specialist, and graduate students.  The nominees in each category must be exceptional for their contribution to the mentoring of undergraduate students in research or creative activities.    

Eligibility  

  • An UC Davis undergraduate student in good academic standing
  • A graduating senior this current academic year.  
  • Eligible to participate in the June commencement ceremonies
  • Have conducted your independent research under the direction of a UC Davis faculty member
  • Considered an outstanding undergraduate researcher by your faculty research sponsor

What are the benefits of winning the award?

Undergraduate recipients of the prestigious award receive:

  • $1000 Dean Keith Simonton Prize (financial aid stipend*)
  • Engraved plaque
  • Special recognition at the Chancellor’s Award Reception

Application information  

The application consists of the nominated student applying with the following:

  • A PDF with a 1-2 page summary, (12 point font, single spaced) describing your project in a way that emphasizes your independent contributions and communicates the project clearly to a committee comprised of faculty from diverse academic disciplines AND a field specific example of your project (e.g., poster, thesis, etc.). 
  • A nomination letter from the faculty sponsor 
  • In addition to the nomination letter, at least one supporting recommendation letter is required. A second supporting letter of recommendation is optional. All letters should be no more than 2 pages long, 12-point font, single spaced.  
  • You will enter information for your nominating professor and other supporting letter writer(s) and they will each be sent an email to upload the letter directly into the application.

FAQs


Link to March 12, 2025 information session video and audio

Chancellor's Award for Excellence -- Undergraduates

Application for Undergraduates:
Deadlines for the 2024-25 academic year:

Application NOW CLOSED
Application Closes: April 3, 2025 (11:59 pm; however, we suggest not waiting until the last minute to submit your application)
Letter(s) of Recommendation Due: April 8, 2025

*Federal financial aid regulations require that all awards received by a student cannot exceed their financial aid need as determined by a congressional formula. It is possible, therefore, that the value of a prize could reduce some "Need Based" component of a student's package of financial aid awards. In these cases, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office attempts first to reduce loan or work aid; fellowships, grants, or scholarships are only reduced as a last resort.

Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research

Congratulations to the 2024 Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research awardees!

Graduate Students:

Sarah Brickman - Soils and Biogeochemistry

Aron Judd Perez Mendiola - Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Lindsey Mooney - Developmental Psychology

Post Doctoral Scholar or Project Scientist: 

Nall Inshan Moonilall - Post Doctoral Scholar in the Conservation Irrigation Lab

Faculty: 

Lisa Oakes - Psychology and Center for Mind and Brain 

This annual award was instituted in 1994 to recognize faculty for excellence in mentoring undergraduate research as a way to emphasize the importance and visibility of faculty’s contribution to the excellence in mentoring and advocacy for undergraduate research and creative activities. The annual award was expanded to recognize the critical contributions of individuals at the graduate and post-doc level in 2015 and further expanded to include nominations of project scientists/specialists in 2021.  The nominee in each category must be exceptional for his/her/their contribution to the mentoring of undergraduate students in research and/or creative activities.  The recipients will be announced at the Chancellor's Award Reception in June with winners receiving a special plaque and $500 award.

Who may nominate

  • Undergraduate students
  • Postdoctoral Scholars
  • Project Scientists or Specialists
  • Graduate students
  • Staff

This year we now have three categories of mentors you can nominate!

  • Faculty who mentor undergraduate researchers
  • Graduate students who mentor undergraduate researchers
  • Postdoctoral Scholars and Project Scientist or Specialists who mentor undergraduate researchers

How many letters are required?

Two letters are required. 

  • One letter of nomination from the list above
  • One additional letter of recommendation from the list above
  • A third letter of recommendation is optional.

Letters may be no more than 2 pages long, 12-point font, single spaced. Letters co-signed by 2 or more people (e.g. by several students) are also acceptable.

FAQs

 

Chancellor's Award for Excellence -- Graduate Students

Nominate Graduate Students

Chancellor's Award for Excellence -- Researchers/Postdoctoral Scholars

Nominate Researchers/Postdoctoral Scholars

Chancellor's Award for Excellence -- Faculty

Nominate Faculty

Deadlines for the 2024-25 academic year:

Application Closes: April 3, 2025 (11:59 pm; however, we suggest not waiting until the last minute to submit your application)
Letter(s) of Recommendation Due: April 8, 2025