We are proud to shine a much-deserved light on the efforts of our exemplary graduate students as well as those dedicated to uplifting them.
Nomination Process
The Graduate School’s Access, Diversity, and Inclusion team invite nominations for its second annual Best of Access, Diversity, and Inclusion (BADI) Awards. The BADIs honor and celebrate underrepresented minority graduate students at Princeton University as well as those who advance them as researchers, scholars, mentors, and future leaders of academia, government, industry, and beyond. We are proud to shine much-deserved light on the efforts of these exemplary graduate students and those dedicated to uplifting them.
The 2024 BADI award nomination process entails four graduate student categories, as well as one category to recognize staff/community members, post-docs, faculty, and a special event or organization.
- Please submit only one nomination per category. You may, however, nominate the same person or group for multiple eligible categories.
- Provide a brief description to accompany each nomination outlining why the nominee meets the award criteria. As noted above, you are welcome to nominate people for multiple awards. However, make sure that your rationale for nominating them is clearly indicated and tailored specifically to the award's criteria (300 words or less).
- Please include the correct contact information of the individual you are nominating (e.g. email address). In addition, if you are nominating a group, please share the primary contact information for that group.
- All Princeton graduate students, staff, faculty, and post-docs are all welcome to nominate others and themselves. Self-nominations must, however, adhere to all the same aforementioned guidelines.
Basis for evaluation
Nominations will be evaluated based on eligibility, award criteria, strength of the submission statement, and demonstration of excellence with regard to access, diversity, and inclusion.
Submission Deadline
Nominations will close at 11:59 pm on April 5, 2024.
Eligibility
All Princeton graduate students, staff, faculty, and post-docs are welcome to nominate others and themselves. Self-nominations must, however, adhere to all the same aforementioned guidelines.
Graduate Students
Outstanding G1 Student Award
Recognizes a first-year student who has made an incredible impact in a short amount of time on issues of diversity, access, inclusion, social justice, and belonging. (Only first year graduate students are eligible and will be considered for this award).
Outstanding Advocacy Award
Recognizes exemplary student leadership, initiative, dedication, and advocacy with a diversity, inclusion, and/or social justice focus. This may include organizing events, coordinating community-building activities, leading justice movements, or advocating for causes on campus and within broader communities.
Outstanding Divisional Leadership Award
Recognizes student leadership in furthering diversity—whether directly in their department or division or more broadly within society—in a way that best reflects the development and spirit of their respective academic unit. (One awardee will be selected per division. Nominees may only be submitted and will only be considered for their own division.)
- Humanities
- Social Sciences
- Natural Sciences
- Engineering
Outstanding Graduate Mentorship Award
Recognizes a graduate student's outstanding dedication to mentoring and supporting others with an eye toward diversity, access, inclusion, and/or social justice. This mentorship can formally take place within one of our campus’ many mentor programs. Some examples include but are not limited to the Grad Scholars Program (GSP), community-based initiatives such as the Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP), the Freshman Scholar's Institute (FSI), as well as via informal mentorship that takes place outside of strict programmatic bounds.
Post-Docs
Champion Awards
Recognizes a post-doc who has been a committed advocate, mentor, or sponsor for graduate students from historically underrepresented groups at Princeton. This may include formal teaching and advisement work within the classroom, lab, or campus organization, as well as unofficial labor as a mentor, liaison, and promoter of individuals and organizations.
Faculty Award
Champion Awards
Recognizes a faculty leader who has been a dedicated supporter of graduate student, community, organizational, and/or systemic needs related to diversity, access, inclusion, and/or social justice issues at Princeton and beyond.
Staff Award
Unsung Hero Award
Recognizes Princeton staff who have gone above and beyond in their support of and dedication to underrepresented minority graduate students—individually or collectively. This support may include organizational, logistical, and emotional contributions to student well-being and success.
Organizational Award
Outstanding Programming Award
Recognizes a longstanding or one-off program, event, conference, series, workshop, etc. geared toward underrepresented minority graduate students that advances access, diversity, inclusion, social justice, or community-building. This may include student-led as well as University and community-run programming.