What is the Stewardship Award?
The Stewardship Award recognizes individual records of extraordinary achievements in people leadership and research and resource management that enable the Lab’s mission to bring scientific solutions to the world. It recognizes individuals who embody the Lab’s commitment to care for the people, research, and resources that make our mission possible. For example, a Stewardship nominee evinces a broad, sustained pattern of enabling the Lab’s success by building teams, securing resources, navigating institutional landscapes, or sustaining the culture that makes such innovation possible. In short, their leadership makes entire programs and teams thrive over time. Up to two individuals are recognized each year; each award includes a $10,000 prize.
What does “stewardship” mean in the context of this award?
Stewardship at the Lab is both a values commitment and a driver of organizational effectiveness. It is the Lab’s collective commitment to create a culture in which everyone can do their best work. We practice it because it is the right thing to do, and because it makes us better at what we do. Those recognized by this award demonstrate that, within the Lab’s Stewardship vision, what we do and how we do it must be critically intertwined to successfully advance our mission. Awardees illustrate how leadership across multiple dimensions of stewardship (including the values of trust, respect, innovation, team science, and service) strengthens the Lab’s capacity to deliver on its mission through the care of the Lab’s people, research and resources.
Who is eligible?
Individuals in operations, scientific, and engineering roles are all eligible. The award is not formally restricted by title or level, but it recognizes a significant record of extraordinary achievements that generally reflects the sustained contributions of mid-career and senior leaders. Past awardees have included division-level leaders, project leaders with career-spanning impact, and individuals who have shaped the culture, strategic and/or scientific direction of major programs or facilities.
How is the Stewardship Award different from other Director’s Award categories?
The Stewardship Award is distinguished by its broad scope (spanning people, resources, and research), its timeframe (sustained impact over an extended period of time rather than a single achievement), and its focus on how the Lab’s stewardship culture and values enable the kind of leadership that allows the Lab to continue to advance its mission.
Comparison to the Mid-Career Leadership Award
The Mid-Career Leadership Award recognizes individuals whose evolving contributions have opened significant new directions that others now build upon, such as pioneering a new research program or operational approach. In contrast, a Stewardship nominee enables the success of such advances by building teams, securing resources, navigating institutional landscapes, or sustaining the culture that makes such innovation possible.
The distinction is between individuals who open compelling new directions for the Lab (Mid-Career Leadership Award) and those whose leadership makes entire programs and teams thrive over time (Stewardship Award).
Comparison to the Organizational Impact, Mentorship, and Community-Building Awards
The Organizational Impact, Mentorship, and Community-Building Awards recognize specific, bounded contributions in particular areas. The Stewardship Award looks for a broader and more sustained pattern – not just improving a specific process or launching a specific community-building initiative, but shaping the organizational environment across multiple dimensions over a career. A Stewardship nominee builds the conditions under which teams and organizations can sustain excellence in these individual areas.
What makes a strong nomination?
Nominations for the Mid-Career Leadership award follow the standard Director’s Award nomination process, requiring two to five support letters, a nomination submission form, and summary slide.
Generally speaking, this category may recognize such contributions as effective leadership and management of a team science program or facility; sustained mentorship and guidance of the Lab’s emerging leaders; championing transformative workforce development and career development initiatives; and strategic leadership during periods of institutional challenge. In all cases, the strongest nominations connect the Stewardship values to tangible outcomes, showing not only that the nominee led with integrity and care, but that their leadership made the Lab’s culture and capabilities measurably stronger, more resilient, or more innovative.
What makes a support letter effective?
The strongest support letters provide specific examples of what the nominee accomplished, how they led with the Lab’s Stewardship values, and why this leadership style was effective in advancing the Lab’s mission. If possible, support letters should come from individuals who can speak to different dimensions of the nominee’s leadership, such as direct reports, mentees, peers, collaborators in other divisions, or external partners.
Who can I contact with questions?
For questions about the nomination process, contact recognition@lbl.gov.
