Contribution to the Field of Urban Affairs Award

In 2014, the Urban Affairs Association inaugurated the Contribution to the Field of Urban Affairs Award to recognize individuals whose body of work has contributed to defining the field and furthering the intellectual and professional development of emerging scholars. One or more awards will be given annually at the UAA Conference.

DEADLINE: October 1, 2024 (11:59pm CDT) – Last day to submit a nomination

Step 1: Review the Eligibility Guidelines

Step 2: Submit a Nomination

Award Benefits

Selection Process

Past Recipients

Selection Criteria

Scholars from any discipline, who have engaged in research, teaching and/or service related to urban affairs are eligible for nomination. Due to the competitive nature of the award, nominees should have advanced professional careers.

Eligibility Guidelines

The individual(s) selected for this award will be recognized for significantly shaping the field of Urban Affairs based on one or more of the following criteria:

Scholarship in urban affairs that influences the thinking of academics and practitioners over an extended career; or,
Significant teaching and mentoring of junior scholars; or,
Distinguished professional service that advances the work of urban affairs practitioners; or,
Outstanding institutional or organizational service that advances urban affairs education; or,
Significant scholarship, teaching and/or service that advances equity, inclusion, and diversity within the field of urban affairs.

Nominations may be made by any UAA member. The nominee should also be a current UAA member. To verify the membership status of a nominee, please contact awards@uaamail.org.

Nomination Instructions

Nominations can be made by any UAA member. To complete the nomination form, you will need to submit all of these items:

Nominee’s information: name, professional title, institutional affiliation, and email address;
Nominee’s curriculum vita; and,
Three (3) statements of support (200 words or less)

Submit a Nomination

Prior Nominees

All nominations made within the past three (3) years, will be given full review and consideration. For this year’s selection process, previous nominations will be considered for submissions made in: 2022, 2023, and 2024.

If a nomination was made prior to the three years noted above, a new nomination must be submitted to receive consideration by the committee. Each new nomination will remain in the nominee pool for three years (including the year of nomination).

To verify the year of any nomination, contact the UAA Executive Office at awards@uaamail.org

Award Benefits

The award recipient receives:

An international announcement of the award
A special award plaque
A lifetime UAA membership (valued at $83 USD each year)
A lifetime complimentary conference registration waiver (including meal + reception tickets) for all UAA conferences (valued at $600+ USD each year)
Participation in a special session at the annual conference to share her/his research, its findings and implications for practice and policy
Acknowledgement on the UAA Awards webpage

The plaque will be presented at the Awards & Recognition Program held during the annual UAA Conference. Following the conference, a press release will be prepared announcing the recipient.

Selection Process

All eligible nominations will be reviewed by the Recognitions Committee of the UAA, which is appointed by the Chairperson of the Governing Board. The committee may request additional information from nominees and/or nominators to facilitate its review.

The Committee will review nomination materials and inform the UAA Executive Director of the outcome. The UAA Executive Office informs the recipient of the award decision.