The Special Interest Group for Faculty Teaching, Evaluation and Development (SIG-FTED) of the American Educational Research Association sponsors two awards that recognize scholarly contributions to the field of Faculty Teaching, Evaluation, and/or Development (FTED). 

The first award, named in honor of W. J. McKeachie, recognizes the contributions of an established scholar in the field. The second award, named in memory of Robert J. Menges, recognizes the work of a new researcher. SIG-FTED encourages its members to recognize qualified colleagues. SIG-FTED also has Student Travel Awards to support graduate student members presenting outstanding work at the AERA conference. The SIG-FTED Awards Committee will be requesting for nominations for the Robert J. Menges New Researcher Award to be announced at the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting and Exhibition. The deadline for nominations for this award is January 16, 2026. 

Given below are details on both the awards and the nomination process.

The Special Interest Group for Faculty Teaching, Evaluation and Development of the American Educational Research Association established the W. J. McKeachie Career Achievement Award to recognize outstanding contributions, over a career, to the fields of faculty teaching, evaluation and development, and to SIG-FTED. Past winners include Bill McKeachie (for whom the award is named), Bob Menges, Herb Marsh, John Centra, Ken Feldman, Ray Perry, Harry Murray, Phil Abrami, Larry Braskamp, Janet Donald, Michael Scriven, Jennifer Franklin, Michael Theall, Peter Cohen, Chris Knapper, Raoul Arreloa, Lynn McAlpine, Marilla Svinicki, Kenneth O. Doyle, William Cashin, Steven Benton, and Robert Stupnisky.

Supporting documentation for this award should include a nomination letter stating why the nominee is an appropriate candidate and a current curriculum vita of the individual. Nominees must consent to the nomination, and the recipient is expected to make an invited address to the SIG-FTED Business Meeting held during the AERA Annual Meeting and Exhibition. This award will next be confirmed at AERA in 2027. 

The 2025 W. J. McKeachie Career Achievement Award winner was Dr. Frank Tuitt, Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut! 

Robert J. Menges New Researcher Award

In 1996, the Special Interest Group for Faculty Teaching, Evaluation, and Development of the American Educational Research Association established an award to recognize outstanding scholarship by a new researcher in the areas of postsecondary teaching, evaluation, and development. In 1998, SIG-FTED named the award in honor of Robert J. Menges to acknowledge his accomplishments and his mentoring of so many people in these fields. Past recipients include Robert Renaud, Dieter Schonwetter, Andrea Wood, Kent Williams, Nathan Hall, Catherine Beauchamp, Salvatore Sanders, Aliki Thomas-Pyliotis, Julie Timmermans, Mariska Knol, Anne Beniot, and Martin Daumiller.

The Robert J. Menges New Researcher Award is intended to support the career development of new scholars, and as such is open to persons currently registered in graduate programs through persons who have received a doctoral degree within five years of the nomination deadline. The Robert J. Menges New Researcher Award is given in recognition of a published study, which may include an article in a refereed journal, a thesis or dissertation, or other forms of publication open to peer review. Supporting documentation should include a letter stating why the nominee is an appropriate candidate, a resume of the individual, and a copy of an article, report, study, or other work by the nominee on which the award should be adjudicated. If the document to be adjudicated is co-authored, the role of the nominee in the project should be clearly explained. Nominees must consent to the nomination, and the recipient is invited to make a presentation in one of the SIG-FTED sessions held during the AERA Annual Meeting and Exhibition.

Nominations for this award are being accepted for AERA 2026 and its due January 16, 2026.

The 2024  Robert J. Menges New Researcher Award winner was Dr. Andrew Phuong at the University of California at San Diego! 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graduate Student and Early Career Scholar Conference Registration Award 

The FTED SIG is pleased to support the participation of graduate students and early career scholars in conference activities by awarding sponsored registration for up to 4 FTED SIG members. 

To apply for a sponsored registration award, applicants must meet the following qualifications: be a current member of the FTED SIG, have a paper accepted for the conference through the SIG (of any kind—paper, poster, roundtable),  and identify as either a current graduate student or early career scholar (the latter defined as up to seven years past receipt of the doctorate degree).

To apply for sponsored registration through the SIG, please provide the following information:  name, institutional affiliation, contact information, modality of conference participation (i.e. virtual or in person), confirmation of status as either a current graduate student or early career scholar, and a copy of the accepted paper.  

Nominations for this award will be accepted for AERA 2026 by December 1, 2025. Any questions around the nomination process, please reach out to our SIG Chair Dr. Lisa Snodgrass @ lsnodgra@purdue.edu

 Thank you