Awards

Community, Economic, and Workforce Research Awards 2024

The C2ER awards program recognizes 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 and 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 2022).

Award Categories:

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

Award Application:

Applicants must submit a summary describing the project’s goals, objectives, and innovation. Alternative formats such as videos, websites, and interactive dashboards are encouraged.

 

Award Review Criteria: Selection Process:
Judges will review the nominated research or analysis for:

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

Any representatives that are 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.

Application Process:

Applicants must submit their nomination via this form by Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

Awards Presentation:

C2ER will present the awards on Friday, June 14, 2024 the C2ER Annual Conference.