A new prize to be offered for the first time in academic year 2023-24 will honor graduate student researchers who use the library to create outstanding, publicly engaged scholarship. Up to three prizes of $1,000 will be awarded jointly each year by the UC Davis Library and the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement.

“Engaged scholarship at the graduate level makes a tangible impact on communities and addresses real-world problems. We are proud to support and encourage engaged scholarship at UC Davis, and the new Library Graduate Student Prize is just one way we are recognizing and celebrating the outstanding work of our graduate students,” said Michael Rios, vice provost of public scholarship and engagement.

In co-sponsoring the prize, the library and Public Scholarship and Engagement hope to draw attention to the impactful and inspiring work being done by UC Davis graduate students and reflect the central role of the library as a resource at all stages of the graduate-level research.

“Pursuing graduate-level research can be both challenging and profoundly rewarding, and the library is here for graduate students every step of the way,” said Stephen Kiyoi, head of the library’s Researcher Services team and the new Library Graduate Student Prize. “In many ways, the library helps bridge the gap between academic research and the wider world.”

The library provides access to datasets gathered by governments and other organizations; consults on best practices for managing and sharing research data so that it is accessible and usable by others; and offers funding support for open access publishing to help early-career researchers make their work publicly available.

“Through this prize, we are excited to recognize the incredible and impactful research being done by our graduate students here at UC Davis,” Kiyoi added.

Application process and timeline

All currently enrolled UC Davis graduate students will be eligible to apply for the new prize, which will open for applications on October 2, 2023 and be awarded in February 2024. As graduate-level research takes time, announcing the prize this spring allows students time to prepare for the fall application cycle. Faculty advisors and instructors are also encouraged to let their graduate students know about the opportunity.

Students may submit one unpublished, individually authored or team-authored work to which they were a major contributor, such as research articles, dissertation or thesis chapters, essays, research project reports, or creative works. A panel of faculty members and representatives from the library and Public Scholarship and Engagement will evaluate the applications.

Contact

To learn more about the prize and how to apply, visit the UC Davis Library webpage or email librarygradprize@ucdavis.edu with any questions.