PICR 2026 Recognition Awards Ceremony
View award categories and details2026 Recognition Awards Ceremony
The ceremony to honor recipients of the 2026 Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR) Recognition Awards will take place on April 3, 2026. PICR members, trainees and staff are invited to attend as we celebrate outstanding contributions to cancer research at Purdue.
Background
The PICR Recognition Awards celebrate the people who power cancer discovery at the cancer institute. Each year, faculty, trainees and staff gather to recognize individuals whose research, mentorship, leadership and service advance scientific excellence and strengthen our research community.
Established in 2024, the awards honor contributions across every stage of the cancer research enterprise, from undergraduate discovery to career-long scientific leadership. Together, they reflect PICR’s commitment to excellence in research, training and collaboration.
Award categories
Trainee Research Awards
These awards recognize undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who demonstrate exceptional creativity, rigor and promise in cancer research. By honoring trainees, PICR underscores the importance of empowering the next generation of cancer scientists.
Recipients are selected for:
- Significant scientific contributions
- Technical excellence and innovation
- Scholarly productivity
- Commitment to collaboration and mentorship
- Clear potential for impactful careers in cancer research
Trainee research Awards
Outstanding Undergraduate Student
Outstanding Master’s Student
Outstanding Doctoral Student
Graduate Student Mentor Award
Recognizes a graduate trainee who demonstrates outstanding dedication to mentoring undergraduate researchers and fostering scientific growth within the lab environment. Excellence in mentorship is central to PICR’s training mission. This award celebrates individuals who elevate others through guidance, leadership and sustained commitment to teaching.
Outstanding Service and Engagement Award
Honors members of the PICR community who demonstrate exceptional leadership and active engagement within the institute. Recipients strengthen PICR beyond the bench, building programs, fostering collaboration, supporting trainee development and creating a more connected research environment.
Faculty Research Achievement Awards
These awards recognize PICR faculty members whose research has made sustained, meaningful contributions to cancer science. Spanning early, mid and advanced career stages, the awards reflect the institute’s commitment to rigorous discovery, field-shaping scholarship and impact.
Recipients are selected for:
- Significant scientific or scholarly contributions
- Sustained impact within their field
- Innovation and intellectual leadership
- National or global recognition
- Contributions that advance the PICR’s research mission
Faculty research Achievement Awards
Early Career Research Achievement Award
Mid-Career Research Achievement Award
Career Research Achievement Award
A growing tradition of excellence
The PICR Recognition Awards were established to reflect the depth and breadth of talent within the institute. With more than 100 faculty members and hundreds of trainees contributing to cancer research across disciplines, PICR’s strength lies in its people.
The annual awards ceremony has quickly become a cornerstone event — a moment to pause, recognize achievement and reaffirm the core values that define our institute.
Award nominations are solicited annually from the PICR community. Eligibility criteria and submission deadlines are communicated each spring.
View award details, nomination information and eligibility requirements.