FAQs

1. What is the difference between a "highly prestigious", "prestigious pathway", or "additional external award"?

Highly prestigious awards are awards designated as such by the National Research Council (NRC). There are over 200 awards designated on the NRC's list of highly prestigious awards. A university's highly prestigious award count is a key metric considered by AAU for institutional membership and is considered important in university rankings. Academic Affairs is currently supporting recipients of highly prestigious awards with a $10,000 stipend. 

A prestigious pathway award is defined by LSU as any national/international award that is a statistically significant precedent or "pathway" to a highly prestigious award. We classify an award as a prestigious pathway award if at least 25% of highly prestigious award winners previously received that award. This list will be updated annually so it will be based on current data. Academic Affairs is currently supporting recipients of prestigious pathway awards with a $5,000 stipend. 

LSU also recognizes additional external awards that do not fit into the "highly prestigious" or "prestigious pathway" categories. We include these awards as Additional External Awards on our website. In addition, the recipient will receive a congratulatory letter from the Provost that will also be sent to the recipient’s Dean and Department Chair. The general principle for the inclusion of an award in the database of over 20,000 awards is that the award must be open to all people in a discipline or to a large subset of people in that discipline at the national and/or international level.

2. I won an award. What do I do next?

Congratulations! Please submit your award information here. We will review the information and contact you with confirmation in 1-2 business days. The award will be reviewed in terms of its designation and you will be contacted with further information.

3. I received a national award that is considered one of the top awards for my professional association. It is not currently listed on your website, but I think it should be. How do I request that the award be added to one of the lists?

Congratulations on your award! Please submit a petition to add your award to one of the lists here. We will review the information and get back to you within two weeks (14 business days).

 

4. I received an award in the past and don’t see it listed on the website. Can I still have it listed? Can I still receive a stipend? 

First, please submit your award information here. We will review the information and contact you with confirmation in 1-2 business days. If applicable, we will include your name and award on the website in the appropriately designated list, and you will receive an update about this listing. We do not offer retroactive stipends; only awards received within the current calendar year are eligible for stipends. 

 

5. Are there limits on the number of stipends I can receive?

Yes. The stipend eligibility rules are listed here:

Rule 1 — Three-Year Per-Category Limit A faculty member may receive no more than one stipend per award category (Highly Prestigious or Prestigious Pathway) in any rolling three-year period. For example, a faculty member who receives a Highly Prestigious Award stipend in 2026 is not eligible to receive another Highly Prestigious Award stipend until 2029 at the earliest, even if they receive an additional Highly Prestigious Award before that date. 
Rule 2 — One Stipend Per Calendar Year No faculty member will receive more than one stipend of any kind under this program in a single calendar year (January 1 through December 31). If a faculty member qualifies for stipends in two categories in the same calendar year, the Office of Academic Affairs will work with the faculty member to determine which stipend is processed, and the remaining stipend will be deferred to the following calendar year, subject to fiscal availability and the three-year per-category rule.

 

6. Do I need to do anything to help publicize my award?

Once you submit your award information via our website, we will follow up with the Office of Marketing & Communications, the Office of Research & Economic Development, and your college to facilitate campus announcements.

7. I would like some assistance in researching potential awards and pursuing awards in my profession. Can I request a meeting?

Yes, please contact Laura Choate at externalawards@lsu.edu for a meeting to discuss potential awards and best strategies for pursuing awards.