The university of the west indies at saint augustine

 Principal’s Research Awards Guidelines

The Principal’s Research Awards are primarily aimed at recognizing the most outstanding research contributions over the past five years. Faculties are invited to submit the applications in the following categories on or before 11.59 pm of Tuesday 30 September 2025. No late submissions will be accepted. The deadline for the HEAR award is 11.59 pm Monday 20th October 2025.

Award Guidelines

      • Full-time academic staff members of the St Augustine Campus are eligible to apply for all research award categories.
      • Principal’s Special Innovation Award is open to all full-time staff members of the St Augustine Campus including ATSS & ASAP STAFF.
      • Hurricane and Earthquake Alleviation Research (HEAR) Award is open to ALL Staff, Students of The UWI as well as PUBLIC, other Tertiary Institutions and Secondary Schools Teachers and Students.
      • Full-time academic staff members who received awards for the Principal’s Research Awards in 2023 and 2024 are not eligible to apply in the same category.
      • There is no limit to the number of awards a staff member may receive, however, the same research work or the Project will not be considered for more than one award in the category of Best Team Research/Principal’s Impactful Community Research/Most Outstanding Regional & International Research Project.
      • Applicants are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of information provided in the application form.
      • Only applications submitted using the relevant award Template will be considered.
      • The decision of the Campus Research Awards Committee is final, and it reserves the right to verify statements made on the application form and to not award a specific category based on its merit and suitability of application.
      • Awardees will be invited to present their research during Research Festival 2025 session for the benefit of all researchers and external stakeholders to showcase the impact of research being undertaken at the Campus.
      • Applications should be submitted with a cover letter clearly indicating the name of the award being applied for in Word or PDF format.
      • Applications should be submitted to the Research Awards Committee’s email STA-research.awards@sta.uwi.edu on or before 11:59 PM on Tuesday, 30 September 2025. No late submissions will be accepted. The deadline for the HEAR award is 11:59PM on Monday 20 October 2025.
      • Should you have any queries or require any clarification, kindly send an email to STA-research.awards@sta.uwi.edu

Award Categories

  • Principal’s Award for Best Researcher

This campus level award will go to the researcher who demonstrated the highest quality research in their discipline in all areas including publications, research grants, graduate student supervision and impactful contribution over the past five (5) years.

Download the application for Principal’s Award for Best Researcher

 

  • Principal’s Special Innovation Award

This campus level award is open to staff who has embedded in innovative research and developed the product/outcome that has greater potential for commercialization. The prime objective of this award is to recognize the innovation and to motivate all staff including ATSS & ASAP staff to contribute to the University through research and technology innovation.

Download the application for Principal’s Special Innovation Award

 

  • Principal’s Award for Most Impactful Community Research

This award will go to the research that demonstrated a significant impact on the community to improve their quality of life and environment by any means over the past five (5) years.

Download the application for Principal’s Award for Most Impactful Community Research

 

  • Best Team Research

This award will be given to the research team which, in addition to demonstrating coherence and outstanding research quality as a team over the last five (5) years, has integrated a multi-disciplinary approach in project methodology and team composition.

Download the application for Best Team Research

 

  • Most Outstanding Regional/International Research Project

This award will go to the researcher or research team that has brought significant attention to research conducted at the UWI St. Augustine Campus, and that has attracted the most funding from sources external to the University to support a specific regional/international research project. Additionally, the research project should demonstrate the achievement of project objectives as well as innovative and creative outputs.

Download the application for Most Outstanding Regional/International Research Project

 

  • Most Productive Research Department

This award will go to the Department which has demonstrated the highest research productivity and research quality over the past five (5) years.

Download the application for Most Productive Research Department

 

  • Most Productive Research Centre or Institute

This award will go to the Centre or Institute which has demonstrated the highest research productivity and research quality over the past five (5) years.

Download the application for Most Productive Research Centre or Institute

 

  • Most Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award & Mentorship Award

These awards will go to:

  1. The student who has produced a quality thesis during AY 2023/2024 & 2024/2025 and demonstrated the significant impact of their research work
  2. The lead supervisor who has provided outstanding mentorship to the corresponding graduate student.

These awards will be presented to the thesis produced in

  1. Humanities & Education/Arts/Social Sciences/ Law (1 for graduate student researcher & lead supervisor)
  2. Food and Agriculture/Engineering/Medical Sciences/Science and Technology (1 for graduate student researcher & lead supervisor).

Download the application for Most Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award & Mentorship Award

 

  • Most Promising Early Career Researcher Award

This campus level award will go to the researcher who is below the age of 40 years and demonstrated the highest quality research in their early academic career through impressive record of publications, externally funded research grants and impactful contribution to the respective discipline after joining the UWI.

Download the application for Most Promising Early Career Researcher Award

     

    • Most Outstanding Faculty Researcher

    This award will go to the researcher who demonstrated the highest quality research at the Faculty level in all areas including publications, externally funded research grants, graduate student supervision and impactful contribution to the respective discipline over the past five (5) years.

    Download the application for Most Outstanding Faculty Researcher Award

     

    • Most Outstanding Researcher of the Centre or Institute

    This award will go to the researcher who demonstrated the highest quality research at the Centre or Institute level in all areas including publications, externally funded research grants, graduate student supervision and impactful contribution to the respective discipline over the past five (5) years.

    Download the application for Most Outstanding Researcher of the Centre or Institute