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EXCEL-AR External Funding Celebration Program

The EXCEL-AR External Funding Celebration Program honors faculty and staff who have secured significant external funding in 2025. As part of this program, faculty will be recognized with either a Pinnacle Medal and/or a Distinction Medal in acknowledgment of their success in securing external funding in three categories - Science and Engineering Disciplines, Non-Science and Engineering Disciplines, and Humanities and Creative/Performing Arts and Design. 

Award Information and Criteria

To advance the University of Arkansas’s Research Excellence strategic pillar by recognizing faculty and staff who secure significant external funding. Because funding norms vary across academic domains, EXCEL-AR establishes discipline-appropriate, tiered thresholds for three broad fields:

  1. Science and Engineering Disciplines [e.g., Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering/Technology, Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences]
  2. Non-Science and Engineering Disciplines [e.g., Social Sciences, Professional Fields (e.g., Education, Health, Business, Journalism, Law, Social Work, Nursing, Counseling), and other departments whose external funding typically falls within these ranges (Mathematics)]
  3. Humanities & Creative/Performing Arts and Design

The Faculty and Staff External Funding Excellence Celebration Program includes three discipline-specific award categories, each with two tiers of recognition: the Pinnacle Medal and the Distinction Medal. These medals are given to investigators in recognition of their accomplishment in obtaining an externally sponsored award. 

Awardees will be recognized based on receiving an award over the threshold established for their broadly defined disciplines during the previous calendar year in which the faculty or staff member served as:

    • Principal Investigator (PI)
    • Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
    • Lead or Co-Lead on sub-awards that bring external funds into the university
    • Collaborators and the senior/key personnel are not eligible
  • New external award received during the previous calendar year – if the U of A is the lead institution the total grant award is considered  
  • New sub-awards from external institutions or agencies received (start date) during the previous calendar year – only the total U of A sub-award will be counted
  • Internal grants, startup funds, retention funds, or cost-share

Faculty or Staff (PIs and Co-PIs) who meet the threshold in a given calendar year will:

    • Receive the one-time Pinnacle and/or Distinction Medal for External Funding Excellence, depending on the tier threshold
    • Be invited to the Annual Provost Faculty Recognition Reception
    • PIs and Co-PIs are recognized every time they reach a threshold
Category Pinnacle Medal Distinction Medal
SE Disciplines Awarded when external funding is $3,000,000 or more. Awarded when external funding $1,000,000–$2,999,999.
Non-SE Disciplines Awarded when external funding is $1,000,000 or more. Awarded when external funding is $500,000–$999,999.
Other Disciplines -Humanities & Creative/Performing Arts/Design Awarded when external funding is $150,000 or more. Awarded when external funding is $75,000–$149,999.

 

Awardees receive:

  • A University of Arkansas External Funding Excellence Medal (tier-specific)
  • Recognition at the Annual Provost’s Faculty Recognition Reception (every year the faculty member meets the threshold)
  • Paid AAAS membership for 3 years for PIs who received the Pinnacle or Distinction Medal (one-time benefit)

Awardees receive:

  • A one-time University of Arkansas External Funding Excellence Pinnacle and/or Distinction Medal (tier-specific)
  • Recognition at the Annual Provost’s Faculty Recognition Reception (every year, the staff member meets the threshold)
  • DRI provides an annual report of eligible faculty to the Office for Faculty Affairs
  • DRI provides an annual report of eligible staff to the Office for Faculty Affairs and HR
  • Faculty Affairs and DRI confirm tier eligibility and award level. Associate Deans for Research will be involved if additional information is required.

2025-26 EXCEL-AR Awardees