- 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.
- Use the Email Alert button on the Faculty Awards Catalog. This allows you to get email reminders about due dates even if the award is not sent to your department chair.
- Consider awards for which you receive reminders as possibilities not just for this academic year but for next as well. Most awards are annual and most have due dates within the same time frame each year. If you can't get ready now; plan to be ready by the next call for applications.
- Help create a culture proactive in procuring 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. This committee can make sure discipline specific and career appropriate awards are not overlooked and can keep outstanding faculty work in the spotlight through nominations.
- Learn all you can about how awards work: agree to serve on an award committee. The "insider" view is very informative and every professional group – even through time-limited committee membership – maintains an idealized image of the winning nomination.