Public Service Award FAQs

Thank you for considering making a nomination for the UNC Public Service Awards! Please feel free to contact ccps@unc.edu with any questions that are not answered here.

Who can submit a nomination?

Anyone – faculty, staff, student, community member, affiliated with UNC or not – can submit a nomination for UNC’s Public Service Awards.

When can I submit a nomination?

You can typically submit a nomination between November and mid-February each year.

How much work does a nomination take?

We have tried to make the nomination form fairly simple. In addition to identifying information, the form asks for a brief description (less than 5,000 characters) of why you are nominating this person, officially recognized student organization or university unit for an award. You can quickly review what is asked in the 2024 Public Service Awards – Nomination Form Fillable PDF.

How do I submit a nomination?

You may submit the form directly through the Carolina Center for Public Service (CCPS) Application and Nomination Portal by logging in with your onyen and password; if you are not currently affiliated with UNC, you can contact ccps@unc.edu to receive alternative credentials. Bryan and Provost Award nominations are accepted through the Public Service Awards nomination form, and Ned Brooks Awards are accepted through a separate nomination form.

Nominators may also complete their nomination using the Public Service Awards – Nomination Form Fillable PDF and emailing their completed form to ccps@unc.edu.

How do I know if I should nominate for the Bryan Public Service Award, the Provost Engaged Scholarship Award or the Ned Brooks Award?

You are not required to indicate the particular award category in which you are making a nomination, and all nominations will be considered in all categories in which the nominee is eligible.

The Ned Brooks Award has a separate nomination form in the portal because it is intended to recognize an individual’s full career of public service and engagement rather than a specific project or scope of work, but nominations submitted through the general Public Service Awards form will also be considered for the Ned Brooks Award, if applicable.

Can I nominate myself for a public service award?

Yes! If you are submitting a self-nomination, you are required to include two references.

Are there guidelines on how the award money can be used?

No! The award funding is a recognition of the work completed and can be used in whatever way the recipient would like.

How are nominations evaluated?

Nominations are evaluated based on the purposes and criteria outlined on each award page and generally, as applicable, with a focus on: (1) the degree to which the nomination represents a response to a practical problem, issue or concern identified by the community, (2) the degree to which the nomination represents work done in partnership or with effort to share power, and (3) the degree to which the nomination represents work that has had practical deliverables, outcomes or impact.