The Office for Research & Innovation (OR&I) is proud to announce the establishment of the OR&I Research Awards, created in partnership with the Duke University Libraries, Duke Office of Scientific Integrity to celebrate those who are advancing a culture of integrity and open scholarship in research at Duke.

Launching in 2026, the inaugural awards will recognize individuals or teams who exemplify excellence in Research Integrity and Open Scholarship, two pillars central to Duke’s mission of conducting research that is ethical, transparent, and accessible to all.

Award recipients will be honored with a $2,500 award during the Duke Research Summit on Friday, April 24, 2026, where they will be recognized among colleagues across the Duke research enterprise. 

About the Awards

The OR&I Research Awards shine a light on the people and teams whose everyday practices, mentorship, and innovations make research at Duke more trustworthy, reproducible, and open.

Research Integrity Award

This award honors those who promote ethical, rigorous, and responsible conduct of research in their departments, labs, or across the institution. Nominees may be active mentors, trainers, or leaders who set high standards for transparency and accountability in their work.

Nominees might:

  • Lead initiatives that enhance data integrity, reproducibility, or compliance.
  • Design or deliver training in responsible research conduct.
  • Foster inclusive, ethical research environments through mentorship and example.
  • Develop processes or policies that strengthen institutional research practices.

Open Scholarship Award

This award recognizes those who make knowledge more accessible, whether by sharing data and code, creating open educational resources, or developing new pathways for reproducible and inclusive research.

Nominees might:

  • Consistently share research outputs, code, or data through open and responsible methods.
  • Publish in open‑access venues or via registered reports.
  • Create or champion open educational resources for teaching and learning.
  • Build platforms or infrastructure to support transparent, reusable research.
  • Mentor others in open science or open scholarship workflows.

Eligibility and Administration

All members of the Duke research community—faculty, staff, trainees, and research leaders across all disciplines—are eligible for nomination.

Recipients will receive a $2,500 award, which may be provided either as a transfer to a discretionary account or as a supplement to their paycheck. Award payments processed through payroll are subject to standard income and payroll tax withholdings.

Nomination Materials and Timeline

Nominations open December 1, 2025, and must be submitted by February 1, 2026. 

Selections will be made by March 31, 2026, with the recipients announced at the Duke Research Summit on April 24, 2026.

Each nomination must include:

  • A one‑page description addressing how the nominee meets the award criteria and their demonstrated impact.
  • Up to three supporting materials or links that showcase outcomes or evidence of influence.
    • Examples for Research Integrity: policy, process, training, or measurable culture change
    • Examples for open scholarship: dataset, GitHub repo, publication, OER
  • A brief letter of support (no more than one page).
Access the nomination form