Award for Exceptional University Management

The nomination period will be Monday, January 5 - Friday, February 6, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Please see the Founder’s Day Award Nomination Guide for timelines, helpful templates, and a link to the nomination tool.

For questions, please contact the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor.

Nominations are accepted for individuals only. Nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Have been a career UCSF employee for at least five years with a minimum 50% staff appointment at the time of nomination.
• Have either an S-series (S1-S2) or M-series (M1-M4) classification but do not hold the title of assistant or associate vice chancellor or equivalent VP or Executive VP title in UCSF Health.
• Have been vetted and endorsed by their supervisor and department head.
• Have not previously received the award.
• Have exhibited and sustained outstanding management performance as delineated below by the Selection Criteria.
• Note: Questions regarding classification and employment eligibility can be directed to your departmental personnel assistant or your Human Resources customer service representative.

Nominees will be evaluated per the following criteria:

• Partnership & Collaboration – How does this manager build a supportive and collaborative environment? Provide specific examples of how they demonstrate exceptional communication and responsiveness, working effectively within and between teams to achieve departmental goals and further UCSF priorities.
• Integrity & Performance – How does this manager model accountability and drive engagement? Describe how they uphold the university's ethical standards while demonstrating a commitment to their team's performance, professional development, and growth.
• Opportunity & Outreach – How does this manager create opportunities and foster an inclusive environment? Detail their commitment to advancing a spectrum of people and perspectives, creating a welcoming culture and equitable pathways for professional growth for everyone.
• Mission-Driven Innovation – How does this manager's innovative approach advance the UCSF mission? Explain how they develop new methods or solutions that result in positive change and directly contribute to the advancement of UCSF's work in education, discovery, and patient care.

A complete online nomination must include:

• Lead nominator who initiates, monitors, and completes the process. The online tool will route to emails of contributors provided by lead nominator.
• Endorsement by nominee’s supervisor and department head.
• One nomination letter* citing specific examples of the nominee’s exceptional managerial performance as related to the Selection Criteria.
• Up to two support letters* citing examples of the nominee’s exceptional managerial performance as related to the Selection Criteria. Note: support letters may be endorsed by multiple supporters.

The nomination period will be Monday, January 5 - Friday, February 6, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Please see the Founder’s Day Award Nomination Guide for timelines, helpful templates, and a link to the nomination tool.

*Consider using UCSF’s internal AI tool Versa to improve your nomination letter.

• Learn more and sign up for the Versa waiting list at ai.ucsf.edu (MyAccess login required).
• Follow best practice by acknowledging where AI has been used.