Breadcrumb Home Campus Initiatives Discovery and Innovation Awards Discovery and Innovation Awards Discovery and Innovation Awards The Discovery and Innovation Awards honor University of Iowa faculty, staff, postdocs, and students who conduct high-impact research and scholarship. The Office of the Vice President for Research invites nominations for 2026 awards for scholars from a wide range of disciplines who have:achieved national recognition for research and scholarship;disseminated research to broad public audiences;advanced research safety;administered and coordinated complex research programs; andmentored of the next generation of researchers, scholars, and artists. Submit your nominations by Jan. 12, 2026. Learn more about each award and submit nominations through the individual award pages. Faculty Awards Scholar of the YearEarly Career Scholar of the YearLeadership in ResearchDistinguished Achievement in Publicly Engaged ResearchDistinguished Achievement in Arts and Humanities ResearchFaculty Communicating Ideas AwardOUR Distinguished Mentor Award Research Staff Awards Distinguished Research Administrator AwardDistinguished Research Professional Award Safety Awards Innovation in Safety AwardInnovation in Safety Award (Student) Postdoctoral Awards Postdoctoral Research Scholar/Fellow Excellence Award Undergraduate Awards Excellence in Undergraduate Research Awards Graduate Student Awards Graduate Research Excellence Awards Questions? Reach out to vpr-office@uiowa.edu. Meet the 2025 Winners Faculty and staff awardeesStudent and postdoc awardees