The Presidential Awards program, organized by the Office of the President in partnership with Duke Human Resources, recognizes individuals and teams who best demonstrate the values that define and shape Duke as an institution. The awards are one of the highest honors given by Duke to staff and faculty members.

The Presidential Awards recognizes individuals or teams who have made distinctive contributions to Duke University and Duke University Health System and have demonstrated its institutional values during the 2023-24 academic year.

Nominees* must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Permanent, full-time or part-time benefits-eligible employee.
  2. Employed in current position for at least one full year.
  3. Free from any disciplinary actions for the last five years.
  4. Department head must approve the nomination.

*Previous Presidential Award winners are not eligible for nomination (this does not affect previous Presidential Meritorious Award winners).

Presidential Award Criteria

Nominees, either individuals or team, should take into consideration those who, through their exceptional contributions, exemplify at least one of Duke's five institutional values: Respect, Trust, Inclusion, Discovery, and Excellence. Individuals and teams can be nominated both for contributions over the past year or for extraordinary service over the course of a longer period.

Presidential Award Nomination Process

  • Any member of the Duke community can submit an individual nomination or a team nomination.
  • Presidential Awards nomination must be received by October 18, 2023.
  • Award recipients will be selected by a committee appointed by the President.
  • Winners of the Presidential Award will be notified in January 2024.

Presidential Award Presentation

  • The President, along with the senior leadership of the university and health system, will honor the winners during an awards ceremony on March 7, 2024.
  • Winners will be presented with an award.

Required Information for Presidential Award Nominations

Individual Nominations

  • Nominee's Full Name
  • Nominee's Duke Unique ID
  • Nominee's Title
  • Nominee's Department
  • Nominee's Years of Service in Current Position
  • Nominee's Phone
  • Nominee's Email
  • Nominee's Direct Supervisor
  • Supervisor's Email
  • Nominee's Department Head Name
  • Nominee's Department Head Title
  • Nominee's Department Head Phone
  • Nominee's Department Head Email
  • Nominator Name
  • Nominator Title
  • Nominator Relationship to Nominee
  • Nominator Department
  • Nominator Phone
  • Nominator Email Address
  • Second Nominator Information (Optional, same Nominator information as above)
  • Summary: a 200-word summary to support your nomination, explaining how this individual meets the criteria selected on page one. NOTE: Summaries exceeding 200 words will not be considered.
  • Letter of Support(s) (Optional) Up to three (3) letters of support will be accepted for each nomination.

Team Nominations

  • Team Name
  • Full Name (for each member of team)
  • Title (for each member of team)
  • Department (for each member of team)
  • Phone (for each member of team)
  • Email (for each member of team)
  • Duke Unique ID (for each member of team)
  • Years of Service in Current Position (for each member of team)
  • Supervisor Name (for each member of team)
  • Supervisor Email (for each member of team)
  • Department Head Name
  • Department Head Title
  • Department Head Phone
  • Department Head Email
  • Nominator Name
  • Nominator Title
  • Nominator Relationship to Nominee
  • Nominator Department
  • Nominator Phone
  • Nominator Email Address
  • Second Nominator Information (Optional, same Nominator information as above)
  • Summary: a 200-word summary to support your nomination, explaining how this individual meets the criteria selected on page one. NOTE: Summaries exceeding 200 words will not be considered.
  • Letter of Support(s) (Optional) Up to three (3) letters of support will be accepted for each nomination.