Use FSU’s coveted internal awards as a stepping stone to external recognition.
Be prepared to apply/nominate others more than once. Few win recognition on their first attempt; if possible, seek feedback to improve applications/nominations.
Keep FEAS/personal websites updated so colleagues who nominate you have access to your current information. Provide materials quickly when a nomination is suggested - help others to help you.
Share good news with your colleagues and your college’s/FSU’s communications teams – good press builds recognition outside of your silo and benefits your department, college, & FSU.
Keep your professional memberships current and apply for upgrades in membership when appropriate. Many awards sponsored by professional organizations require nominees have a certain length of membership or a certain level of membership to be eligible.
Be active in your discipline/national organizations. Service is often required for recognition by an organization helps you to build name-recognition within the voting community.
Learn all you can about how awards work: agree to serve on an award committee at FSU or in a society. The "insider" view is very informative and every professional group – even through time-limited committee membership – maintains an idealized image of the winning nomination.
Consider awards outside your professional organization. Many faculty work across disciplines and many awards honor multiple disciplines. You may check FSU’s Faculty Awards Catalog for more information about awards outside your discipline.
Consider recognition other than academic awards. Is being a keynote speaker exceptional in your field? Does serving on a national board elevate your accomplishments? Serving as an editor of a prestigious publication? Remember to let FacultyRecognition@fsu.edu know what you achieve and its impact.
Help create and maintain a culture proactive about seeking recognition. First, nominate a colleague. This opens a dialogue about awards and fellowships and puts you in good stead for securing letters of support when needed. Second, start a departmental awards committee or an awards pipeline. The committee can make sure discipline-specific and career appropriate awards are not overlooked and can keep outstanding faculty work in the spotlight through nominations. A pipeline stands ready to provide materials quickly when an appropriate nomination is suggested, and a culture of support helps recruit and retain exceptional faculty.