This award is named after Julian Barksdale, who arrived at the UW from Yale in 1936 and retired in 1973.  He contributed greatly to the UW mission over a period of 40 years, including serving as Chairman of the Faculty Senate, first Director of the Arts & Sciences Honors Program, Undergraduate Advisor in the Department of Geological Sciences, and several University Committees.

We are seeking nominations to honor a current student, alum, faculty, or staff member in ESS for their exceptional contributions in support of either the department’s or University’s mission. Recipients will receive a $2000 cash award, have their name engraved on the Barksdale Service Award plaque, and receive a certificate of award given. Individuals may receive the award more than once. This award is specifically for service to the Department or to the University rather than research or teaching. That said, service that promotes research or teaching does qualify! 

A nomination should consist of a brief statement (no more than 2 pages, double-spaced) summarizing those contributions the nominee has made that should be honored. Please cite specific examples.

Selection Criteria:

1. Specific Contribution: Provided superior, sustained service or a special one-time contribution to the mission of the University of Washington or to the mission of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences.
2. Job-Related Excellence: Demonstrated extraordinary excellence in the performance of job duties and responsibilities while contributing to a positive and collaborative work environment, or;
3. Service: Delivered exemplary service to others either within or beyond the University of Washington.

NOTE: You may ask someone to nominate you, but self-nominations are not allowed.

Submit your Barksdale Distinguished Service Award Nomination

Which ESS lectures have captivated you this year? Who has given you new knowledge and wisdom or inspired you by revealing nature’s marvels? Which great teacher was able to explain and engage you as a brilliant master of their subject matter? 

We are soliciting nominations for the Department of Earth and Space Sciences Robert G. and Nadine E. Bassett Distinguished Teaching Award. This award honors a faculty or staff member in ESS for their exceptional contributions to the Department’s teaching mission, including diversity, equality and inclusion as well as innovations in teaching. It is an important statement of a faculty member’s enthusiasm and dedication to teaching. Recipients will receive a cash award, have their name engraved on Bassett Distinguished Teaching Award plaque, and receive a certificate of award given. All faculty, including previous award winners, are eligible to receive this award.

Nomination Components:

• A nomination should consist of a brief statement (NO MORE than 2 pages, double-spaced) summarizing those contributions the nominee has made that should be honored. Please cite specific examples.
• Each nomination may have multiple signatories on it or separate nominations may be submitted by each signatory.
• You can ask someone to nominate you, but self-nominations are not allowed.

Selection Criteria:

1. Contribution: Demonstrations of  exceptional contributions to the department’s teaching mission. Please give specific examples.
2. Student References: The support of multiple students who give evidence for this instructor’s enthusiasm and dedication to teaching, as well as the instructor’s teaching effectiveness.
3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Clear examples of how the nominee addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in and outside of the classroom.
4. Innovation: Instances of experimentation  with novel ways of teaching and dedication to keeping curriculum up-to-date.

Submit your Basset Distinguished Teaching Award Nomination

We are seeking nominations to honor a current undergraduate student in ESS for their exceptional contributions in service to the department’s mission.

To nominate an undergraduate for this award, please submit a statement (less than one full page), describing an undergraduate student who has donated major amounts of time and effort to build a community within ESS and to make department life enjoyable and productive. The awardee represents the collegial spirit of the department. Please cite specific examples in your statement.

• Nominations can be submitted by any members of the ESS community – faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, or other undergraduates.
• You may ask someone else to nominate you, but self-nominations are not allowed.

Eligibility: Nominees for this award must be current undergraduates majoring in Earth & Space Sciences.  

Selection Criteria:

1. Time, Effort, and Community Building: Nominee has donated significant amounts of time and effort to build community within ESS and to make department life enjoyable and productive. Nominee promotes a positive atmosphere and sense of community. Please provide specific examples.
2. Reference letters: Nominee has gained support for this award from multiple people in the department including students in all programs and years, staff, and faculty. 

Submit your Undergraduate Service Award Nomination

This award provides financial support for Summer Field Camp. Funds will be disbursed directly to student accounts. Applicants stand a VERY HIGH chance of being awarded funds. 

You will be required to submit 2 paragraphs that clearly describe (1) what you hope to gain from the experience, and (2) how that funding will be used.

The Douglas Merrill Prize for Excellence is presented to a graduating senior undergraduate student who has demonstrated exceptional academic and personal achievement throughout their undergraduate career. This scholarship is awarded solely on the basis of merit and recognizes a student’s outstanding contributions to their academic field, campus community, and personal development. The recipient will receive $500 and will have their name engraved on a plaque displayed outside the Department’s main office in Johnson Hall as a lasting recognition of their accomplishments.

The applicant must be graduating in the Spring or Summer quarter of the year the scholarship is awarded. 

Selection Criteria:

1. Academic excellence: A clear track record of strong academic performance, especially in major-related courses.
2. Contributions to the field: One or more tangible outcome(s), including (but not limited to) a senior thesis, scientific publications, and presentations at workshops/conferences.
3. Leadership: Evidence of leadership in academic or extracurricular activities such as mentoring, organizing events, or helping advance departmental initiatives.

The Afton Woolley Crooks and James William Crooks Endowed Scholarship in Geological Sciences supports three-quarters of undergraduate tuition (at a resident (in-state) amount) for the upcoming academic year. It is awarded to a junior student who demonstrates excellence in merit, academic scholarship, and financial need. The applicant must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate junior, with at least 60 completed credit hours.

Selection Criteria:

1. Merit: Outstanding contributions to research, a demonstrated commitment to professional development, and a passion for Earth and space sciences.
2. Academic Scholarship: Excellent academic standing with the potential for continued growth. A clear plan for leveraging undergraduate education for future success. 
3. Academic Promise: The applicant should show a strong academic record with a proven capacity of continued intellectual growth. The student should exhibit a clear sense of purpose in their academic and career aspirations, with realistic and well-defined goals.
4. Financial need: Demonstrated financial need. The scholarship will take into account the student’s overall cost of attendance, with a focus on students whose current financial aid does not fully cover these costs.

The Livingston-Wernecke Memorial Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student who demonstrates excellence across multiple areas, including character, academic promise, financial need, and overall scholarly achievement. Recipients are awarded a cash prize of $4,500 towards undergraduate tuition.

Selection Criteria:

1. Merit: Outstanding contributions to research, a demonstrated commitment to professional development, and a passion for Earth and space sciences.
2. Academic Scholarship: Excellent academic standing with the potential for continued growth. A clear plan for leveraging undergraduate education for future success. 
3. Academic Promise: The applicant should show a strong academic record with a proven capacity of continued intellectual growth. The student should exhibit a clear sense of purpose in their academic and career aspirations, with realistic and well-defined goals.
4. Financial need: Demonstrated financial need. The scholarship will take into account the student’s overall cost of attendance, with a focus on students whose current financial aid does not fully cover these costs.

There are numerous fellowship awards given out each year for one quarter of research support. These awards are given to relieve you of Teaching Assistant or project-funded Research Assistant duties and allow you to devote time to your own research program.  

Awards are given based on high academic standing, commitment to research, the amount of prior departmental/grant support, financial need, and the impact a quarter of research support would have in accelerating progress toward degree completion or enabling another line of research that would otherwise not be feasible. Fellowships are open to research-track graduate students only.

Fellowships are awarded based on:

1. Past Performance: Applicant shows evidence of accomplishment. Accomplishments include, but are not limited to: presenting at conferences, submitting or publishing papers, submitting and receiving funding for proposals of any type, being a TA or teacher for multiple courses, pursuing an internship, collaborations with non-UW scientists, and achieving a professional certification.
2. Future Goals: Goals are well defined. Applicant clearly articulates how skills learned in the program will translate to future success. Goals may be program-related or career-related.
3. Financial need: Demonstrates examples of need for support.
4. Reference letters: Letter writers are familiar with applicant and express enthusiastic support. 

Application Components:

• Current Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Transcript: A copy of your unofficial UW transcript. (You can download a PDF of your unofficial transcript via MyUW, and then upload it here.)
• Written Statement: A two- to three-page statement, written in plain language for the review board with a broad range of expertise. The letter should stress both past performance and future goals.
• A MINIMUM of one letter of support from an ESS faculty member who is familiar with your research. More are preferred and additional letters may come from mentors outside of ESS. Letters should address the significance and progress of your research and how you would benefit from an award during the upcoming academic year. Letters of recommendation should be emailed to .

Notes:

• Recipients of research support funds are STRONGLY URGED to consider presenting at the next ESS Research Gala and sharing their research with their peers as well as the donors who funded the research.
• Graduate Fellowship Awards may incur unexpected tax implications. Recipients are STRONGLY URGED to attend a student tax seminar, which are offered several times each year. Student Services will send out notifications as they are offered.
• Graduate Student Fellowship Awards are to be used during the following academic year. Extensions beyond this time frame must be approved by the Department Chair.

Submit your ESS Graduate Fellowship Application

These awards are intended to support graduate student research expenses during the summer field season and the following academic year and require a budget and budget justification in order to be considered. Requests cannot exceed $3000. Due to limited funds, which may only cover part of typical research project expenses, graduate students are expected to apply for additional funding from external sources.

Recipients of these funds will have a department research account established on their behalf. There are restrictions on how the money may be used. Equipment purchased with these funds usually becomes Department property and must be returned to the department for the benefit of future students. These funds may not be applied towards tuition and fees.

Selection Criteria:

1. Scientific Objectives: The scientific objectives are stated and clearly explained and the proposal poses a tractable question or hypothesis.
2. Context and Significance: The proposed research is well placed in disciplinary and, if appropriate, regional context. Explains the potential for this project to advance knowledge and understanding across disciplinary fields.
3. Research Proposal: Presents a clearly laid out plan to accomplish the investigation, including an outline of specific procedures/techniques and a timeline. The proposal is well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on sound rationale. There is a mechanism to assess success. Resources exist to ensure success or a plan is laid out to secure them.
4. Reference Letters: Letter writers are familiar with the application and express enthusiasm and support for the proposed project and application.
5. Financial Need: Demonstrates examples of need for support.

Note: If you have received previous research funds , the awards committee will consider both the report on outcomes as well as any unused funds that may remain.

Please submit the following documents:

• Current Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Transcript: A copy of your unofficial UW transcript. (You can download a PDF of your unofficial transcript via MyUW, and then upload it here.)
• Research Proposal: Your proposal (no more than 3 pages, written in plain language for a review board with a broad range of expertise), which should address the following issues:
  • What are the objectives of this project?
  • Why is this work important? Place the project in a disciplinary and, if appropriate, a regional context.
  • How do you plan to accomplish your investigation? Outline the specific procedures and techniques you will use. When (duration and dates) do you plan to carry out this project?
  • Is this research project part of your MS thesis or PhD dissertation?
  • Make sure to indicate if this project is related to an existing grant that is currently funding you.  Is this request for further supplies/testing/travel expenses that were not covered by the grant but are needed?
• Your Research Budget Worksheet.
• A minimum of one letter of recommendation is required. More are preferred. References from faculty are preferred. Reference letters should be emailed to . 

Notes:

• Recipients of research support funds are STRONGLY URGED to consider presenting at the next ESS Research Gala and sharing their research with their peers as well as the donors who funded the research.
• Research Support Awards are to be used during the following academic year. Extensions beyond this time frame must be approved by the Department Chair.

Submit your ESS Graduate Student Research Support Fund Application

This memorial fund honors US Geological Survey volcanologist Dr. David A. Johnston, who died as a result of the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. It was created in 1981 with gifts from students, faculty, friends, and co-workers, with a major donation from Lee Fairchild, one of Johnston’s UW classmates. Through this scholarship it is hoped that David’s remarkable energy and creativity will be remembered forever and passed down to future geoscientists.

David Johnston graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geological sciences in 1971 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1978 he received his doctorate in geological sciences, specializing in volcanology, from the University of Washington. He joined the US Geological Survey, and was a volcanologist stationed at Mt. St. Helens to monitor the unrest in 1980. He was one of 57 people who lost their lives in the May 18, 1980 lateral blast. The Johnston Ridge Observatory, named after David, is located at the terminus of the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This vantage point brings visitors within five miles of the north side of the volcano and offers spectacular views of the still-forming lava dome, crater, pumice plain and landslide deposit.

Annually, we give out two awards to graduate students in the Ph.D. program who have demonstrated superior academic ability and creativity in research, to be used for whatever each student needs to further their research. The fund will provide a $5000 cash award to each recipient. Recipients of these awards should be engaged in exceptional research in their respective fields, with qualities of high professional standards. In addition, because of its prestige, ESS has had a perpetual plaque made to honor all recipients of this award. The plaque reads: “David A. Johnston Award for Research Excellence. Presented to the graduate students considered to be the most outstanding young scientists in the fields of Geological Sciences and Geophysics. In memory of David A. Johnston (1949-1980). Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences. University of Washington.”

Selection Criteria:

1. Past Performance: Applicant shows evidence of accomplishment, e.g. presented at conferences, submitted or published papers, submitted and received funding for proposals of any type, been a TA or teacher for multiple courses, done an internship, collaborated with non-UW scientists, achieved a professional certification, etc.
2. Future Goals: Future goals are clearly defined. Applicant clearly articulates how skills learned in the program will translate to future success. Goals may be program-related or career-related.
3. Reference Letters: Letter writers are familiar with the applicant and express enthusiastic support of applicant.

Application Components

• Current Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Transcript: A copy of your unofficial UW transcript. (You can download a PDF of your unofficial transcript via MyUW, and then upload it here.)
• Written Statement: A two- to three-page letter of application, written in plain language for a review board with a broad range of expertise
• You will also need to supply a MINIMUM of one letter of support from an ESS faculty member who is familiar with your research, and more are preferred (additional letters may come from mentors outside of ESS). Letters should address the significance and progress of your research and how you would benefit from an award during the upcoming academic year. Letters of recommendation should be emailed to .

Submit your David A. Johnston Award for Research Excellence Application

The Coombs Fellowship fund was created in honor of Howard Coombs by a gift from his student, James Gualtieri (MS 1966). Howard Coombs received his BS (1929), MS (1931), and  Ph.D. (1935) from UW and was on the faculty from 1935 to 1976. He served as chairman of the UW Department of Geological Sciences from 1952 to 1969, overseeing a major period of growth for the department. Additionally, Howard Coombs was credited with more than 30 ascents of Mount Rainier. 

The Coombs Fellowship is based on academic achievement and is an award in recognition of excellence in teaching.  

The application for the Howard A. Coombs Teaching Excellence Award is restricted to Research graduate students only. This plaque award is for a one-quarter fellowship.

Selection Criteria:

• Dedication: Demonstrates enthusiasm and dedication to teaching. Provides evidence of teaching effectiveness, overcoming obstacles to student learning, and a growth trajectory in teaching.
• Contributions: Has made specific teaching-related contributions to ESS students. Has contributed significantly to teaching ESS courses (core curriculum or otherwise).
• Reflection; Pedagogy; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Articulates compelling pedagogical approach and reflects on strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. Approach addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in and outside of the classroom.
• Faculty Reference Letters: Satisfactory or superior ratings in each area. Shows enthusiasm and cites specific examples of excellence in and commitment to teaching, including diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Student Course Evaluations: Positive reviews of the teacher, teaching style, engagement, grading, and out-of-class help. 

Official teaching evaluation data will be pulled from the IAS system as part of the application evaluation process.

Application Components:

1. Current Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
2. Transcript: A copy of your unofficial UW transcript. (You can download a PDF of your unofficial transcript via MyUW, and then upload it here.)
3. Written Statement: A two- to three-page letter of application and teaching statement. Please address the following topics in this statement:
   1. In your opinion, what does successful learning look like?
   2. What are common obstacles to student learning?
   3. How do you address these obstacles in your teaching?
   4. What are your strengths as a teacher?
   5. What are some areas in which you hope to grow as a teacher or in which you have already grown
   6. Describe your greatest teaching success story. Describe your worst failure or mistake as a teacher. What did you learn from this experience?
4. Faculty Evaluation of Teaching Form: You will also need to supply at least one Evaluation of Teaching from an ESS faculty member who is familiar with your teaching. Please have your faculty evaluator submit their evaluation using the Faculty Evaluation of Teaching Form.

Submit your Howard A. Coombs Teaching Excellence Award Application

ESS benefits from the presence of several scientists of the USGS Earthquake Science Center embedded within our department. They make a tremendous contribution to the vibrant research atmosphere here. The USGS has entered into a Cooperative Agreement with UW-ESS to provide funding for several fellowship quarters each year. 

The stated purpose of the funding is (in part): “to continue the ongoing cooperative relationship between the USGS Earthquake Science Center and the UW, and provide for […] funding of UW students and post-doctoral researchers working on cooperative scientific research projects, such as those related to seismotectonics, ground motions, and earthquake monitoring and early warning.”

Specific Areas of potential projects listed include (but are not limited to): 

• Earthquake Processes, Occurrence, and Forecasting
• Crustal Deformation
• Earthquake Monitoring and Early Warning
• Earthquake Source and Ground Motion Modeling
• Offshore Deformation Mapping and Monitoring
• Earthquake Science Applications to Engineering and Risk Assessment
• Causes and Effects of Near-surface Geologic Hazards (landslides, liquefaction, and the like)

Projects that are in a discipline not clearly aligned with the list above (e.g. geochemistry) may still be considered, as long as the applicant can justify why the work is relevant to earthquakes and related hazards.

Finally, recipients are encouraged to collaborate with USGS scientists to the fullest extent possible.

We have formed a small committee to oversee how these funds will be used (separate from the Scholarships and Awards Committee). This application is an opportunity to apply for research funding during the upcoming Summer quarter.

In consultation with your faculty advisor, please submit:

• Current Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Transcript: A copy of your unofficial UW transcript. (You can download a PDF of your unofficial transcript via MyUW, and then upload it here.)
• Written Statement: A brief statement (up to one page) summarizing your research topic and how it relates to USGS science goals.

The rubric for awarding the USGS COOP Fellowships will be based on:

1. Research relevance to the stated mission
2. Merit of the proposed work
3. Current student funding situation
4. Potential for USGS collaboration

Submit your ESS USGS COOP Summer Fellowship Application