August 29, 2023
Nominate a colleague or apply for Excellence in Innovation and Economic Engagement Award
K-State faculty and staff, centers, institutes and units engaging in innovation and economic prosperity are invited to submit a two-page narrative for the K-State Excellence in Innovation and Economic Engagement Award by Wednesday, Sept. 27, to ecodevo@k-state.edu.
The award recognizes exemplary economic engagement across efforts in talent, innovation and place — plus the intersections of these categories.
- Talent: Focus on education and workforce development.
- Innovation: Focus on innovation and technology-based economic development.
- Place: Focus on social, cultural or community development.
This year, two winners will be selected to account for both 2022 and 2023. At least one of the two winners selected will be an applicant who intentionally advanced talent, innovation or place in accordance with K-State's Economic Prosperity Plan. The plan's focus areas are:
- Food and agriculture systems innovation.
- Digital agriculture and advanced analytics.
- K-State 105: Every Town to Gown.
- Biosecurity and biodefense.
Finalists will be recognized at the K-State Research Connections event on Wednesday, Oct. 18, and winners will be invited to provide a short presentation about their project at the event. Each winner will receive a commemorative plaque, along with a certificate and a $1,000 grant to advance their economic engagement efforts. Finalists and winners will also be featured in news stories and promotions about K-State's economic engagement activities.
Visit the award website for full submission details. Award winners are selected based on the award criteria — including the key questions, illustration and metric — by an external committee of innovation and economic prosperity practitioners. Email questions to ecodevo@k-state.edu.