Scholarships and Awards
Annually NAPSAA recognizes the outstanding work of local Pi Alpha Alpha chapters through awards and scholarships. Each year, a Chapter Award for Excellence, a Chapter Advisor Award for Excellence, and Manuscript Awards are selected and honored at the annual NASPAA conference. Criteria are below. To be considered for an award, the chapter must login above and submit an annual report.
Jacqueline F. Lewis Chapter Award of Excellence
This award recognizes excellence in programming and chapter management in pursuit of PAA goals of scholarship, leadership, and excellence in graduate education in public policy, affairs, and administration. Chapters should meet the following criteria:
- Variety of quality programs and activities that promote and honor public service scholarship
- Successful recruitment of students for Pi Alpha Alpha (percent of eligible students who are initiated)
- Contributions to the national field of public service education (conference presentations, journal submissions, chapter newsletters)
- Level of alumni involvement
- Fiscally solvent with a full slate of officers and a leadership succession plan in place
- Chapters should submit up to 2 letters of support from chapter officers, chapter members, faculty members, or administrators who are familiar with chapter operations, activities, and achievements to awards@naspaa.org by June 30 each year to be considered.
Chapter Advisor of the year
This award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions as a chapter advisor. Current or outgoing advisors are eligible. An advisor can receive this award once every five years. The advisor should:
- Represent the chapter and the program in upholding the high standards and purpose in scholarship, leadership, and excellence in graduate public service education
- Guide, support, and mentor chapter programs that promote and celebrate academic excellence
- Ensure chapter procedures/decisions promote equity, diversity, dignity, and academic excellence
To nominate an advisor, the chapter president should submit a letter outlining the advisor’s contributions and how the advisor meets the above criteria; up to 2 supporting letters can be submitted. Submissions should be sent to awards@naspaa.org by June 1 to be considered.
Student Manuscript (Masters level paper and Doctoral candidate paper)
- Recognizes an outstanding student paper. Nominated papers will be judged on the basis of relevance of the topic, appropriate use of methodology, quality of presentation, originality, innovativeness, clarity, and academic quality.
- To apply, candidates should submit an electronic copy of the paper in MS Word format that does not exceed 20 typed pages double-spaced and a letter of support from a faculty sponsor to awards@naspaa.org. The 20 pages is inclusive of all context; appendixes and references are not included in the 20 page limit.
- Submissions should indicate the award name and the student’s name in the email subject line
- This is an annual award and submissions are due by June 1.
Chapter mini-grants
On a rolling basis, NASPAA awards small grants to local PAA chapters. These grants are to be used to advance the mission of PAA. If you are interested in applying, please email paa@naspaa.org with the following information:
- Amount of funds requested (maximum $300)
- Date when funds are needed (at least one month from email date)
- How will you use these funds; what's the purpose? Funds should not be used for routine operations unless the chapter cannot cover them in other ways. Requests that show innovative uses of the fund will be considered more favorably.
- Why should the PAA council approve your request? What are your expected results?
- What documents will you share with NASPAA and the PAA council about the successful use of these funds? Photos and written descriptions may be used on this website
- Do you agree to submit documentation of your event/activity within one month of completion?
- What additional informaiton would you like to share with the grant reviewers?