Sponsored jointly by ETS and CGS, this annual award recognizes promising efforts in initiating or scaling up innovations in graduate education that occur from admission through successful completion of a degree program. It aims to connect innovative admissions practices with complimentary institutional strategies, including, but not limited to, mentoring, support programs, intellectual enrichment, and social support to strengthen student success throughout their graduate journey. This award program is especially focused on recognizing innovations that improve the success of fair and inclusive practices.

Each award is for $20,000 over a two-year period; an amount to be matched by $10,000 from the selected institution. The contribution may be in-kind but must be specified in the application. The award announcement will be made at the CGS Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon in December 2026, in Los Angeles, CA. Indirect costs are not considered part of the Award for Innovation in Promoting Success in Graduate Education: From Admissions through Completion. The funders do not pay overhead in connection with this award.

Eligibility Requirements

The proposal should describe the strategies to be implemented and the institutional analysis that the graduate school has undertaken to arrive at those strategies. Each proposal should also address the impact of this intervention on increasing inclusiveness in graduate education.

All member institutions of CGS are eligible to apply for this award. Institutions that have won the award previously are eligible to apply again after a 10-year period. The grant proposal must be submitted by the principal graduate representative of the institution (typically, the graduate dean or IHE1) and endorsed by the institution’s chief academic officer or president. The principal graduate representative at the institution must have oversight of the proposed initiatives. Applications involving more than one institution are acceptable.

Institutions may propose projects that address all points in the student life cycle, from admission to completion, or focus on a particular stage or stages in a student’s progression to degree completion. The selection committee will evaluate proposals on the following criteria:

  • the degree of innovation in the institution’s approach
  • the extent of institutional collaboration and commitment
  • the source of the institution’s match (limited to graduate unit versus including multiple units)
  • the sustainability plan
  • the project’s potential for replicability
  • likely breadth of impact
  • the likely efficacy of the proposed budget

How to Submit a Proposal

To complete the proposal, fill out the form at the link below. Be prepared to include the following components in this order:

  1. Description of how proposed institutional changes are expected to promote success in graduate education.
  2. Description of the problem analysis that led to the development of the strategy proposed.
  3. Discussion of the metrics to be used for assessing success of the program.
  4. Two-year budget that reflects the full amount of the award and the match.
  5. Description of plans to sustain the initiative beyond the funding provided by the grant.
  6. Letter of endorsement from the institution’s chief academic officer or president.
  7. Winner must agree to submit a final report to CGS in a form to be published in a series of case studies of “best-practices” in ensuring success in graduate education.

 

Submission portal coming soon!

 

 

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