Catalyst Award Nomination Requirements, Submission Procedure, and Form

Guidelines and Eligibility

• The Catalyst award is not limited to individuals from the traditional IT department/service units on a campus.  The candidate could be a faculty member, someone involved in IT support in academic units and libraries, student service personnel, academic technology/instructional designers, possibly even cabinet members, in addition to IT staff and management.  While CIOs would be eligible for this award we expect that campus CIOs/CTOs would more likely be the individuals making the nominations for these awards.
• Candidates may not be currently serving on the EDUCAUSE Board, staff, or Recognition Committee.
• Awards will be made at the discretion of the Recognition Committee, which may choose to grant no award or multiple awards in any one year.
• Each nomination will be judged on three primary factors:
  • Description of the innovation and why this was important at the individual implementation site (e.g., campus, department, unit, etc.).
  • Identification of the individual(s) as the catalyst for the deployment of the innovation.
  • Evidence regarding the deployment and the impact of the innovation, as well as the “catalyst’s” role in the development and deployment.
• In addition the Recognition Committee will also look for evidence that supports:
  • Level of innovation given the campus context
  • Evidence of “uniqueness”
  • Evidence of successful deployment
  • Evidence of sustained deployment
  • Extensible to other similar environments/situations
  • Evidence documenting role of candidate as the leader
  • Evidence of cost/benefit

Nomination Requirements

Anyone may submit a nomination for the Catalyst Award, but must do so with the nominee's permission.  Nominations must clearly document why the candidate should be considered, with clear description of the catalyst idea.  All nominations must contain sufficient information to inform the selection process without additional research. Each nomination submitted must adhere to the following outline and page counts. 

1. Description of the innovator (candidate) and their role on the campus.
   (one single-spaced page minimum)
2. Description of the innovative technology idea that was the catalyst for campus change, and how the idea served as a catalyst within the scope of the candidate’s campus, institution system, or spread more broadly to other institutions.
   (one single-spaced page minimum)
3. Evidence regarding the deployment and the impact of the innovation, as well as the “catalyst’s” role in the development and deployment.
   (one single-spaced page minimum)
4. References
   Include a minimum of two letters of reference for the candidate to be supplied by current or former colleagues, employers, editors, or associates. The letters should focus on the candidate’s innovative technology accomplishments.
5. Curriculum Vitae or Resume
   Include with the nomination the candidate’s vitae or professional resume to provide the selection committee with a more comprehensive overview of the candidate’s accomplishments and experiences. Please note the CV or resume is not a substitute for any of the required information listed in the items above.
6. Name of primary institutional representative who would be recognized if this nomination is selected.
   In the event this nomination is selected, please provide the name of the single individual that would represent the institution.

Submission Procedure and Nominations Form

1. Review Catalyst Award guidelines and eligibility.
2. Review Catalyst Award nomination requirements.
3. Gather required nomination information and materials. [Catalyst Nomination Requirements Checklist]
4. Be sure you have an EDUCAUSE profile (username/password) to access the nomination form. (Note: this may take up to 24 hours to generate.) 
5. Submit nomination and materials via Catalyst Award Nomination Form.