2022 NCFR Awards: Call for Nominations
Below are all the NCFR awards accepting nominations in 2022. Click each award to learn about the criteria, and the nomination/application process, for each one.
The deadline for most awards is May 1 of the year in which the award will be presented (unless indicated otherwise). Awards with special deadlines include the Feminism and Family Science Section Awards (May 15), Outstanding SoTL Paper Award (May 15), Affiliate Councils awards (June 1), International Section Awards (June 15), McAdoo Dissertation Award (June 1), and the CFLE Special Recognition Award (Sept. 30).
Student awards are available to those who are undergraduate or graduate students. New professionals awards are available to anyone within five years of their last degree earned. The term "SNP" refers to "Students and New Professionals."
2022 NCFR Designated Awards Nomination Form
NCFR-Sponsored Awards (Designated)
Purpose
Past presidents of NCFR established this fellowship in administration in honor of Mary Jo Czaplewski, retired executive director. She served as NCFR’s chief executive from 1984 to 1999. The fellowship’s purpose is to provide funding to support the efforts of family scholars who want to obtain and make midcareer moves into academic or nonprofit administration.
Award
The fellowship is awarded only when there is a request for the support, but not more often than once every other year, and then after review of application materials. An award of up to $500 can be given biennially to a qualified applicant.
Purpose
This award is given to an NCFR graduate student member who has demonstrated excellence as a student and shows high potential for contributing to the discipline of Family Science.
Award
The recipient receives a $500 cash award and a plaque, both of which are presented at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference.
Affiliate Councils Awards
Affiliate Councils Award for Meritorious Service
Purpose
The Affiliate Councils Meritorious Service Award recognizes the outstanding service of affiliate members within their local, state, and regional councils.
Award
The award recipient receives a plaque, which will be presented at the Affiliate Councils business meeting, held at the NCFR Annual Conference. Up to five Meritorious Service Awards are given each year to deserving candidates chosen from nominees who fulfill the criteria (criteria are the same for university faculty members and community members).
Purpose
The Affiliate Grant is designed to support an affiliate’s activities and promote involvement in the affiliate and/or NCFR. Student and state or regional affiliates are invited to apply for a grant of up to $300 to support an activity or project in their community or region. Grant applications will be evaluated on the basis of the grant criteria. Student and state or regional affiliates are evaluated separately, and more than one grant may be awarded. Affiliates may receive this award only once every three years.
Award
The recipient affiliate(s) will receive a grant of up to $300 and will be recognized during the Affiliate Councils business meeting at the NCFR Annual Conference.
Students and New Professionals President-for-a-Day Award
Purpose
This award recognizes NCFR student or new professionals’ commitment, energy, and innovation in service to NCFR and empowers them to continue evolving their leadership role.
Award
In recognition of dedication, the award recipient receives a $500 conference travel stipend, a President-for-a-Day plaque, and the opportunity to shadow the current president of the NCFR Board of Directors during one day of the NCFR Annual Conference. The award will be presented during the Affiliate Councils business meeting at the NCFR Annual Conference. The recipient will be notified in advance and the date of shadowing the NCFR board president will be predetermined on the basis of the award recipient’s and president’s schedules.
Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) Advisory Board
Certified Family Life Educator Special Recognition Award
Purpose
The intention of the NCFR Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) Special Recognition Award is to recognize an individual or individuals who have demonstrated exceptional effort in promoting the CFLE designation or program. These efforts can be demonstrated through committee involvement, development of related publications or materials, advocacy, or marketing and outreach efforts. Nominees can include individuals (academic or practitioner) or teams of CFLE individuals.
Award
The recipient will be presented with an award at the NCFR Annual Conference’s CFLE Reception and recognized in the CFLE Network and via social media and the CFLE Discussion Group.
Publisher-Sponsored Awards
Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award for Family Science
Purpose
Cognella and the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) have partnered to recognize outstanding Family Science teachers through the Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award for Family Science. We are looking for those teaching in higher education who have gone above and beyond within the past year to introduce cutting-edge teaching practices to their courses that better engage students and advance scholarship in the discipline.
Award (Plaque, Money, Recognition, etc.)
The first-place recipient will receive:
- $1,000 cash
- An award plaque
- Public award announcements through Cognella and NCFR
The second-place recipient will receive:
- $500 in Cognella book credit
- An award plaque
- Public award announcements through Cognella and NCFR
The deadline is typically in early September. Information for the 2022 application will be available in the summer.
Section Awards (Designated)
Advancing Family Science Section
Felix Berardo Scholarship Award for Mentoring
Purpose
The Felix Berardo Scholarship Award for Mentoring is given in honor of Dr. Felix Berardo, a well-known and beloved professor from the University of Florida who went above and beyond expectations in mentoring many students to become outstanding leaders in the family field. The award recognizes an NCFR member for excellence in mentoring junior colleagues, graduate students, or undergraduates. Outstanding mentoring goes beyond classroom teaching and includes the provision of support, guidance, and opportunities for professional development.
Award
The annual award is recognized with a plaque and a $500 stipend, both of which are presented at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference.
Families and Health Section
Purpose
This award is given in honor of Ruth Hathaway Jewson, NCFR’s second executive director. It funds the best dissertation proposal submitted by a doctoral candidate in the field of Family Science. Dr. Jewson was responsible for expanding NCFR’s membership from a small organization to more than 4,000 members when she retired. When Dr. Jewson was in her 60s and working full-time at NCFR, she took courses and earned her master’s degree and went on to complete her doctorate, with her dissertation “The Retired Professional Woman.” In the 1970s, when she wrote her dissertation, there were very few retired professional women.
Award
The award recipient receives a $500 cash award and a plaque, which will be presented at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference. This award is presented biennially (even years). Administration of the award is managed by the Families and Health Section.
Family and Community Education Section
Margaret E. Arcus Outstanding Family Life Educator Award
Purpose
The Family Life Educator award honors Margaret E. Arcus, who made a remarkable contribution to family life education (FLE) during her long, productive career. Margaret Arcus helped create the NCFR Certified Family Life Education program, setting standards for the field. A prolific author and dedicated teacher, Dr. Arcus is widely recognized as one of the best Family Life Educators the world will ever see. This award is meant to
- encourage a tradition of excellence and scholarship by recognizing family life education scholars and practitioners who advance the field; and
- increase the visibility and credibility of family life education scholarship and practice.
Award
The recipient receives a $1,000 cash award, up to $500 in travel allowance, and a plaque.
The award is presented biennially (even years) at the beginning of a plenary session. The award recipient is invited to present a Family Life Education update for practitioners during a special session at the NCFR Annual Conference in the year in which the award is presented.
Family Policy Section
Feldman Outstanding Research Proposal for Research in Family Policy
Purpose
The award is presented in memory of Harold Feldman and Margaret Feldman, who were NCFR members and pioneers in the field of family policy. The award recognizes a graduate student or new professional who has demonstrated excellence in research and potential contribution to family policy studies, particularly in the areas of gender and/or women’s issues or poverty.
Award
The recipient receives a $250 cash award and a plaque. The recipient is expected to present a brief report on the project and related findings at the following year’s NCFR Annual Conference.
Feminism and Family Studies Section
Jessie Bernard Outstanding Research Proposal From a Feminist Perspective (SNP)
Purpose
This award is presented in memory of Jessie Bernard, former NCFR Board Member and pioneer in the field of feminist family studies. Jessie Bernard declared herself a feminist in 1970 and is known for her celebrated work examining the influence of sexism on women’s experiences in marriage, parenting, and society. She was a board member of the American Sociological Association, the Groves Conference on Marriage and Family, and NCFR.
Award
The recipient receives a $750 cash award to fund feminist research, up to $350 in travel allowance, up to $95 toward the NCFR Annual Conference registration to accept the award, and a plaque. Recipients are expected to present a report of their project and findings at the next NCFR Annual Conference. The award is presented at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference.
Jessie Bernard Contribution to Feminist Scholarship Paper Award (SNP)
Purpose
This award is presented in memory of Jessie Bernard, former NCFR Board Member and pioneer in the field of feminist family studies. Jessie Bernard declared herself a feminist in 1970 and is known for her celebrated work examining the influence of sexism on women’s experiences in marriage, parenting, and society. She was a board member of the American Sociological Association, the Groves Conference on Marriage and Family, and NCFR.
Award
The award recipient receives up to $350 in travel allowance, up to $95 toward the NCFR Annual Conference registration to accept the award, and a plaque. The award is presented at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference.
Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families Section
John L. and Harriette P. McAdoo Dissertation Award
Purpose
As eminent scholars and educators, Drs. John L. and Harriette P. McAdoo made significant contributions to the scholarship on ethnic minority families, especially to the understanding of African American’s familial experiences. John L. McAdoo was a founding member of the Ethnic Minorities Section. Harriette P. McAdoo was the first recipient of the Marie Peters Award and became president of NCFR in 1993. This award is named in their honor.
The purpose of this award is to provide support for the completion of an approved doctoral dissertation with a focus on issues that affect ethnic minority families.
Award
The recipient receives a plaque and $450 cash award (presented over two years in allotments of $225).
The award is presented biennially (even years) at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference. Recipients are expected to give an address that, among other things, provides a description of the dissertation research and its implications at a concurrent session at the following NCFR Annual Conference (odd years).
Research and Theory Section
Purpose
The award is given in memory of Reuben Hill, Ph.D., who had a distinguished career as a university professor and pioneered the scholarly study of family. Dr. Hill is remembered for his determination to promote high-quality research and to advance theory about families with the intent of producing practical benefits for families. The award is presented to the author(s) of the best research article for the year prior to the award. It is given in recognition of an outstanding article, book, or monograph that combines theory and methodology in the analysis and interpretation of a significant family issue.
Award
A plaque is given to the authors of the award-winning contribution. Also, a cash award of $1,000 and a $750 travel allowance is divided equally if there is more than one author. The award is presented at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference.
Purpose
The award is given in memory of Ernest W. Burgess, University of Chicago, NCFR cofounder and fourth president. Dr. Burgess was a pioneer in his contributions to marriage and family research in America.
The award recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement during the course of a career in the study of families. The recipient is chosen in recognition of continuous and meritorious contributions to theory and research in the family field.
Award
The recipient receives a $750 cash award and a plaque. The award is presented biennially (even years) at the beginning of a plenary session at the NCFR Annual Conference. The award recipient is invited to present the Ernest Burgess Award Address during a special session at the NCFR Annual Conference (even years). This address typically focuses retrospectively on the contributions from the award recipient over the course of their career. If a new article results from the award address, the award recipient commits first publication rights to the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Additional Section Awards
NCFR sections and focus groups offer additional awards (nondesignated).
Advancing Family Science Section
- Emerging Mentor/Teacher Award
- Legacy Award
- Outstanding Administrator Award
- Outstanding Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Paper Award
- Wesley Burr Student Scholarship Award (one undergraduate award and one graduate award)
Families and Health Section
- Outstanding Professional Paper/Publications Award (Deadline June 1)
- Outstanding Doctoral Student and New Professional Paper/Publication Award (Deadline June 1)
- Outstanding Doctoral Student and New Professional Poster Award (Deadline Oct 1)
- Outstanding Undergraduate or Master’s Student Poster Award (Deadline Oct 1)
- Excellence in Professional/Clinical Practice Award (Deadline June 1)
Family and Community Education Section
Family Policy Section
Family Therapy Section
- Best Poster Award (One Student Award & One New Professional Award)
- Best Paper Award (One Student Award and One New Professional Award)
Feminism and Family Studies Section
International Section
- Jan Trost Award
- Student and New Professional Travel Scholarship (two awards given)
- Annual Conference Travel Scholarship
Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families Section
- Student and New Professional Best Paper Award (one student award and one new professional award)
Religion, Spirituality, and Family Section
Research and Theory Section
Focus Group Awards
Family Financial Well-Being Focus Group
- Best Family Financial Well-Being Paper of the Year
- Best Family Financial Well-Being Student Paper Award
Issues in Aging Focus Group
Latino(a) Research Focus Group
Men in Families Focus Group
- Best New Professional Research Article Award
- Best Research Article Award
- Diversity and Inclusion in Men in Families Research Article Award
Military Families and Children Focus Group
Qualitative Family Research Network Focus Group
Sibling Relationships Focus Group
Inclusion and Diversity Committee (IDC)
Social Justice Award for Contributions to Family Science
