2026 CALC Research Excellence Award 

Call for Nominations

 

The Center on Aging and the Life Course (CALC) Research Excellence Award recognizes a CALC Faculty Associate, Purdue University gerontology graduate student, or Purdue University postdoctoral scholar who demonstrates outstanding contributions to research and discovery in the fields of aging and/or the life course. This award celebrates excellence in scholarly work that significantly advances the understanding of aging and life course dynamics, with a focus on innovative, high-impact research.

Nominees from all academic ranks are eligible for this award, including graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty members at all levels. In previous years, CALC has honored exceptional gerontology graduate students as well as professors at various stages of their careers. This diversity of recipients reflects the award’s commitment to recognizing excellence across the academic spectrum.  Based upon the nominee pool, there may be multiple awards conferred in a given year (for multiple career stages). 

The selection committee will assess nominees based on the impact (or anticipated impact), quality, and quantity of their research relative to their professional status. In considering the nominee’s work, the committee will aim to evaluate how exemplary the research is for others at a similar academic rank, with particular attention to the broader national and international relevance of the work. Additionally, the nominee’s recent research output should be strong, reflecting sustained productivity and innovation.

Nominees will be evaluated on the following categories:

  1. Research Impact (30% of total score): Assesses the significance and influence of the research outcomes on the aging and/or the life course fields, related academic disciplines, and wider society.  Considers the nominee’s efforts to share research findings with broader audiences, and the nominee’s ability to collaborate across disciplines to enhance the impact of their research. 
  2. Quality of Scholarship (30% of total score): Evaluates the rigor, depth, and methodological quality of the research. This includes clear articulation of research questions, use of appropriate methodologies, and the robustness of findings.  Considers the creativity, novelty, and originality of the research ideas, methods, and findings, as well as the nominee’s ability to collaborate across disciplines to enhance the quality of their research. 
  3. Research Output (20% of total score): Considers the quantity of recent research product considering the career stage of the nominee.
  4. Alignment with Gerontological Themes and Center’s Goals (10% of total score): Evaluates how well the nominee’s research aligns with the overarching goals of CALC, contributing to its mission and vision.
  5. (For faculty-level nominees) Mentorship and Collaboration with Students/Junior Researchers (10% of total score): Assesses the faculty member’s role in mentoring students or junior researchers, encouraging their involvement in gerontological research and fostering their professional development.

Nomination: CALC Faculty Associates, Purdue University graduate students, Gerontolgy alumni and other Purdue University faculty members are asked to submit nominations. Self-nominations are welcome. All nominations must be submitted by April 3, 2026 via a Qualtrics survey linked here.  Late submissions will not be considered.

Award Details

The CALC Research Excellence Award will be presented at the annual CALC symposium in the fall semester. The award recipient is expected to attend the CALC symposium in-person on October 2 2026 to receive the award, which will include a plaque to recognize their scholarly achievements.

Questions may be directed to Paige Ebner at mebner@purdue.edu, or to Cathy Liu, CALC Director, at liu3839@purdue.edu.