Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Service
The Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Service was established in 1983 and is presented annually to a graduate student who has demonstrated a genuine commitment to serving the University of Kansas while maintaining a high level of academic achievement.
NOMINATION PERIOD
September 22-November 8, 2025 at 11:59PM CST
Eligibility
Each nominee must be a graduate student meeting the following criteria:
- enrolled full-time in a master's or doctoral program at the time of nomination
- continuing full-time enrollment in their graduate program for the spring semester
- in good academic standing, as determined by the Graduate Studies Policy on Good Academic Standing
Award Details
Awardees receive a monetary prize of $500 and are highlighted in Graduate Studies social media.
Nomination/Application Process & Documents
Eligible students can be nominated by any KU graduate student, faculty, or graduate staff member. There are no restrictions on the number of nominees per department.
The following components are required for a nomination:
- Nomination letter explaining how the nominated student has demonstrated a commitment to serve the campus community while maintaining a high level of academic achievement (two page limit)
- Statement provided by the nominee of the activities, interests, and goals that directly demonstrate service to the University of Kansas (two page limit)
- Student’s current resume or curriculum vitae
All documents should be uploaded as PDFs.
While the time required to process award decisions will depend upon the number of applications received, we aim to notify all nominators and graduate students via email by mid-January.
Selection Criteria
Nominees will be evaluated on these criteria:
- Strength of the nomination letter
- Level of service to the University of Kansas
- Specific qualities that distinguish the nominee from other outstanding graduate students