Award for Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor

Award for Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor

Key dates
Announcement:	August 24, 2026
Submission due:	December 10, 2026

Purpose

The Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR) seeks to recognize outstanding contributions to graduate mentorship within the cancer research community. This award honors a PICR member who has demonstrated sustained excellence in graduate mentoring that fosters student success in cancer research.

Criteria

Nominees must be current members graduate faculty members on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus and actively engaged in cancer research. They must demonstrate sustained and significant contributions to graduate education at Purdue through activities such as:

• Well-structured relationships with students that lead to successful completion of master’s and doctoral degrees, including committee service, mentoring, funding, scholarly support and student advocacy
• Innovative graduate teaching
• Significant administration of graduate programs

Nomination procedure

1. The application packet should be submitted as a single PDF file here by December 10, 2026.
2. Nominations will include the following in order:
   1. Three letters of support including one from the nominator who is currently affiliated with Purdue University (this could include a dean, department head, faculty member, or graduate student) and two from FORMER students (1 page each).
   2. Nominee’s reflection (written in first person) on involvement in various aspects of graduate education (1-2 pages); this section should be written by the nominee and include, but not be limited to, innovations in graduate mentoring and graduate administrative service
   3. CV (include education; Purdue position; graduate courses taught; significant publications [indicate publications co-authored with graduate students by highlighting graduate student(s) name])
   4. List of past masters and doctoral students for whom the nominee served as major professor and their current positions if available (1-2 pages)

Evaluation

The PICR Senior Leadership Committee will serve as the selection committee.

Recognition

The recipient will be announced at the Spring PICR Recognition Awards Ceremony and will receive a $1,000 monetary award and a plaque in recognition of their contributions. Additionally, the awardee with be the PICR nominee for the Purdue OGSPS Award for Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor