Annual Award(s) - Spring Call

Past Recipients

Description and Eligibility:  

This fund supports an annual award to emeriti/ae professors for their teaching, research and/or public service. At UC Davis, the UCDEA administers these awards in collaboration with the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs office.  Currently $20,000* is available for the Award. Typically, one or more proposals are funded (may be partial funding) each year. Awards are typically made in late summer.

*We discovered a historical document in May,2024 by Mau Stanton in 2015 that the award
amount can vary. We will offer $22,000 as of 2024.

Per Mau Stanton in 2015, “After consultation with my staff to review the attached historical
documents for the Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorship, there doesn’t appear to be any
language or policy regarding approval for annual award amounts.  I increased the yearly award
amount from $10,000 to $25,000 a few years ago, based on the number of proposals and
funding requests that we received.   Based on the attached document, it’s my understanding
that I’m not required to obtain approval to make a change to the amount that we fund for
Dickson Professorships each year. I hereby approve the UCDEA’s request to reduce the annual
award amount to $22,000, effective 2015.”

All the best,
Mau
***********************************
Maureen L. Stanton
Vice Provost—Academic Affairs
Distinguished Professor of Evolution and Ecology
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8558
Phone: (530) 752-2072
Fax: (530) 752-6359
Email: mlstanton@ucdavis.edu
Web site: http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Retired professors with either automatic or chancellor-granted emeritus status in the following title classifications are eligible to apply: Professor, Professor in residence, Professor of Clinical, Health Sciences Clinical Professor, Associate Professor and Adjunct Professor. Applicant must be Academic Senate.
2. The award can be used for direct research or project expenses. For example, the funds could be used to explore new ideas in research, teaching and/or public service for which time and/or funds were not available while a member of the active faculty. Dickson funds are not intended to provide bridge funding, retain expensive consultants, provide summer compensation or travel to conferences (travel funds are available through departments).
3. Awardees will be expected to file a progress report at the end of the funding period. 
4. For additional information on this award, including prior awardees, please see: https://emeritiassociation.ucdavis.edu/awards-and-recognition/edward-dickson-award.

Nomination and Proposal Requirements:  

1. Emeriti faculty should self-nominate and submit a proposal for funding as outlined below.
2. Standard grant proposal format is required and limited to eight pages or less (font size 11 pt. or more).   Proposals will be rejected if proposal length is too long.  The following sections should be included Title, Abstract (100-200 words), Introduction, Method, Results and/or Benefits, Budget, References (optional) and a 2 page CV (part of the 8 page limit).  

• The award can be used for direct research or project expenses. For example, the funds could be used to explore new ideas in research, teaching and/or public service for which time and/or funds were not available while a member of the active faculty. Proposals should clearly indicate how the applicant would use the Emeriti Professorship in accordance with the intent of the donor for support of teaching, research and/or public service. Proposals should be concise, but with enough detail to allow careful evaluation. Proposals must include a budget indicating how the funds would be used with brief justification for categories such as salaries, supplies and travel. The highest priority will be given to proposals that clearly benefit the campus and for which funding is not available from other sources.  If the applicant has received Dickson funding previously, please list the projects and dates.

Evaluation and Selection:  

1. The packet will be evaluated by the Awards and Recognition Committee (ARC) for: 
   1. Completeness: All of the elements described above most be present in the packet for further consideration for the award.  
   2. Quality of contribution: Quality as well as quantity of contribution will be considered.  The ARC will consider whether the nominee’s record is deemed outstanding and impactful, surpassing expectations for emeriti faculty, and whether the individual brings honor to the University of California through their work.  
2. Based on their evaluation, ARC will select a nominee as the finalist, and will present their recommendation to the UCDEA Executive Committee for review and decision.  
3. The ARC will work with the Retiree Center to submit the UCDEA-approved finalist to the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs for final review and approval. 
4. Awardees will receive a lifetime membership in the UCDEA.

Note: ARC Committee members must not apply for funding while serving on the committee.

For Further Information

Please send your inquiries to the Retiree Center at retireecenter@ucdavis.edu who will forward them to the
UCDEA Awards and Recognition Committee for a response.