Awards

2025 Economic and Workforce Development Applied Research Awards Nomination

The C2ER + LMI Institute awards programs recognize the contribution of creative research activities that benefit local, regional, or state community, economic, and workforce development initiatives.

Eligibility:

Award nominations are open to all C2ER + LMI Institute members. The nominated organization must have a coordinating or leading role within the nominated project. All projects must be ongoing or started within the last two years (January 2023).

Award Categories:

  1. Business Development: Projects and initiatives that have helped to create or grow businesses, leading to economic and workforce development.
  2. Data Analytics: Projects that have collected, analyzed, or visualized data in a way that has been beneficial for communities or organizations.
  3. Impact & Sustainability: Projects that have had a demonstrably positive impact in their community, and that will have lasting benefits.
  4. Access to Opportunity Projects that have promoted opportunity access in their communities or organizations.
  5. Collaboration: Projects that have brought together different groups or organizations to achieve a common goal.
  6. Policy Analysis: Projects or policy analysis supporting federal, state, or local initiatives.

Award Application Process + Presentation:

Applicants must submit a summary describing the project’s goals, objectives, and innovation via nomination form by Friday, March 14, 2025. Alternative formats (e.g. videos, websites, and interactive dashboards) are encouraged. C2ER will present the awards at the awards dinner during the 65th C2ER + LMI Institute Annual Conference held May 28 – 30 in Sacramento, California. The awardee must be registered and present at the conference.

Award Review Criteria: Selection Process:
Judges will review nominations for the following:

  • Contribution to applied community, economic or workforce development research
  • Innovative and collaborative approach or implementation
  • Project using researchers with larger implementation team
  • Response to a demonstrated need
  • Economic or other additional value gained from project implementation
  • Product/process quality
  • Replicability for other C2ER and LMI Institute members
Representatives from C2ER membership will review nominations. The panel may select up to one winner in each category and an overall award for a particularly innovative project.

Any representatives that identified to have a conflict of interest with a nomination will be removed from reviewing projects submitted under the same category.

Note: C2ER reserves the right to the following if determined:

    • Assign a nomination to a different category than originally nominated.
    • Not select a winner in all categories.