Eligibility & Nomination

Nominations are welcome from current IIENetwork member institutions/organizations from around the world. We encourage new members to join the IIENetwork by the nomination deadline in order to submit a nomination. If you are unsure of your organization’s membership status, contact membership@iie.org.

An organization or institution may only submit a nomination in one category each year.

For the Strategic Partnerships category, at least one of the partnering institutions must be an eligible IIENetwork member and must be the organization submitting the nomination.

Nomination Questions

Below are the questions included in the nomination form. All responses must be submitted through the IIE Heiskell nomination form to be eligible.

• When did this program/initiative begin?
• Provide a summary of the program/initiative (1,500 characters)
• Program/Initiative Objective: Why and how was this initiated? What are the strategic goals? (3,000 characters)
• What is the target audience for your program/initiative? (Select from dropdown)
  • Domestic students
  • International students
  • Faculty
  • Staff & Administrators
  • Alumni
  • College/University Community
  • Local Community
  • Other
• How many participants are involved in your program/initiative or specific activities annually?
• Program/Initiative Support: How is it supported in the institution/organization and/or in the community? How is this funded (i.e. grants, donors, private sector, campus investment, etc.)? (3,000 characters)
• Innovation: What innovations distinguish this initiative from common practice? Does it respond to a gap or need you identified in the field? Describe how the program has responded to, approached, and adapted to needs and/or challenges. (3,000 characters)
• Impact & Outcomes: Please describe the impact of your program on your target audience and/or on a particular community (include specific data on program and participant outcomes) and how the impact is evaluated. (3,000 characters)
• Scalability: Describe how your program may be expanded and/or replicable, relative to your target audience, for your organization/institution, and/or in the field. If your program is over 5 years old, what are you doing to keep it current and/or make it more innovative? (3,000 characters)

Nomination Requirements

Complete nomination packages must include both the online nomination form submission and a letter of endorsement from the President, Chief Academic Officer, Senior International Officer, or Senior Leader from the nominating institution/organization.

• Both the online nomination form and the letter of endorsement must be submitted by the nomination deadline to be eligible.
• The letter from your President, Chief Academic Officer, Senior International Officer, or Senior Leader endorsing your program’s nomination must be signed.
• Nomination packages may also include one additional letter of support if desired.
• Institutions applying for the Strategic Partnerships category should include a letter from each partnering organization.
• All letters must be saved as the name of the nominating institution/organization in either a Word Document or PDF and combined into one file if there are multiple pages/letters.
• Email the letter(s) to membership@iie.org with the subject line: 2025 IIE Heiskell Award Nomination Letter.

IIE will review applications to confirm eligibility and relevance to the category. IIE will engage an internal and external selection committee with knowledge and experience in the field to evaluate applications based on these additional criteria:

• Relevance to the Category – demonstrates a clear connection to and innovation in the chosen category.
• Level of Innovation – demonstrates unique or new practices or responds to a gap or need identified in common practice. This may include the use of technology and adaptations to infrastructure to overcome challenges.
• Strength of Impacts and Outcomes – this may include addressing systemic issues, long-term viability, or significant concentrated impact.
• Scalability – if the model or initiative is transferable or scalable for others to use and adapt.

Is my organization eligible for the IIE Heiskell Awards?

The IIE Heiskell Awards are open to current IIENetwork member institutions or organizations. Organizations can be located anywhere, the awards are not limited to the U.S. If you are unsure of your organization’s membership status, contact membership@iie.org.

I’m an individual IIENetwork member. Can I nominate myself or my organization?

The Heiskell Awards are not open for individual nominations. If you are currently an individual IIENetwork member, you are not eligible to nominate an organization/institution for the awards. If you are interested in helping your organization join the membership in order to become eligible for nomination, contact membership@iie.org.

Can I nominate in multiple categories?

No, your organization can only nominate in one category each year. We encourage you to select one category that best fits the initiative or program you are nominating. Relevance to the category is considered as part of the selection.

Can I nominate if my organization/institution has previously won a Heiskell Award?

Previous winners are eligible to self-nominate any year and in any category, however, it must be for a different initiative or program than your previously awarded one. Nominations for the same initiative are ineligible and will not be reviewed by the selection committee.

My program/initiative is small, will that impact its nomination?

No, programs of all sizes have received Heiskell Awards. The awards recognize innovation and impact at all scales, and we encourage nominations of diverse or targeted programs.

Can I save and return to my nomination form?

Yes, there is a save function on each page of the nomination form and you are encouraged to use it frequently to avoid content disappearing due to system time out or accidental window closure. You are able to save and return to the nomination form until the deadline (January 13, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST). Please take note of the link provided when you click to save. This will allow you to return to your saved form without having to initiate another nomination form.

Alternatively, you may want to reference the nomination questions (see above section) and draft your responses in a Word document, then copy, paste, edit in the online nomination form.

If you require assistance accessing your saved nomination, email membership@iie.org.