Cottrell IMPACT Award

• Cottrell Scholars must be at least 12 years beyond the year of their Cottrell Scholar Award and hold an academic position at a research university or primarily undergraduate institution to be nominated. For the 2026 award, eligibility will be limited to Cottrell Scholars who received their award in 2014 or earlier.
• Holland Awardees are eligible to apply, regardless of the year of their award.
• No submissions are accepted from previous IMPACT award recipients.

IMPACT submissions start with a brief nomination from a Cottrell Scholar or Holland Awardee or a nominee’s institutional colleague who is knowledgeable of the nominee’s leadership activities. Nominations must include the name of the nominee, their current institutional affiliation, and a short paragraph (up to 150 words) describing why the nominee is highly qualified for an IMPACT Award. All nominations must be completed by 11:59 p.m. MST November 18, 2025, in RCSA’s Proposal Review and Information System Manager (PRISM). Self-nominations are accepted.

Nominators must have an account in PRISM to complete the Cottrell STAR or IMPACT Nomination form.

After the nomination deadline, all eligible nominees are contacted by RCSA and invited to submit an application via PRISM. Complete application packages contain the following materials: (i) contact information for the two individuals writing letters of support; (ii) a two-page bio-sketch listing the most significant publications, awards, and honors; and (iii) a three-page essay that describes the nominee’s national impact in science through leadership and/or service activities, which could be a single highly impactful example or a larger body of work (e.g., continuous national leadership) that clearly distinguishes the accomplishments of the nominee. 

Two support letters must be provided for the IMPACT Award. One letter must come from a relevant administrator at the nominee’s institution (e.g., Vice President for Research, Provost or Dean of the College, depending on organizational structure) who can attest to the nominee’s science impact through leadership or service activities. The second letter must come from a Cottrell Scholar or Holland Awardee. Support letters should highlight the exceptional accomplishments of the nominee that clearly identify the candidate as an outstanding academic leader who merits an IMPACT Award. In-depth support letters which make a compelling case for the impact of the nominee’s accomplishments are necessary for a successful submission. View a complete list of Cottrell Scholars. Holland Awardees are listed here.

Applicants must submit complete application packages (does not include letters of support) by 11:59 p.m. MST January 21, 2026. 

Support letter writers will be contacted by RCSA and must submit their letters by 11:59 p.m. MST February 4, 2026. 

The 2026 IMPACT Award will be announced in March 2026. 

For questions, contact Silvia Ronco. 

A selection committee composed of members of the Cottrell Scholar community reviews applications and makes recommendations to the RCSA President.