Awards are offered each semester and summer session to recognize students for outstanding research or creativity as seen in their theses and dissertations. These students are also expected to be academically superior and able to not only do research, but develop a well-written product.

The award is offered each spring semester to recognize a superior mathematical and physical sciences and engineering or social sciences dissertation.

The award is offered each spring semester: to recognize superior performance in publishable research by an ISU graduate student. Publishable research is defined as work written and accepted for publication in a national or international refereed journal. Both the quality and the number of publications produced while a student at ISU will be considered. Nominees must either be currently enrolled at ISU or have graduated in the 2 preceding terms.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) celebrates the exciting research conducted by master’s or Ph.D. students around the world. Developed by The University of Queensland, the competition cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Presenting in a 3MT competition increases students' capacity to explain their research in three minutes in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Competitors are allowed one PowerPoint slide, but no other resources or props.

This award honors postdoctoral scholars who have made innovative and significant research contributions to their field of study.

This award honors postdoctoral scholars who have made innovative and significant contributions to training future scientists at Iowa State. Receiving this award may reflect a postdoctoral scholar’s excellence in either classroom teaching or in supervision of undergraduate or graduate students in research.

To acknowledge the critical role mentoring plays for the postdoctoral scholars at our institution, the Graduate College has developed this program to encourage postdoctoral scholars and mentors to dedicate time each month for career and professional development. A certificate of completion will be awarded to the postdoctoral scholars and their mentors who complete the program.

These competitive grants provide postdoctoral scholars a valuable opportunity to apply for research funding in the role of a principal investigator. Postdoctoral scholars are expected to develop independent research, and this grant is an opportunity to gain experience doing so.

This award recognizes principal investigators’ excellence in their mentorship of postdoctoral scholars. The purpose of the award is to promote a collaborative research environment for postdoctoral scholars at Iowa State, eventually leading to their successful transitions to the next stage in their career.