Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE)
The GADE Student Award for Leadership and Service is given to a social work doctoral student or group of students who, through on-going or time-limited actions, activities or project(s), have shown significant leadership in service to their School, University, or professional or academic associations.¹

The winner of the GADE Student Award for Service will be provided a certificate and a $1,000 award at the Doctoral Student Award Breakfast held at the annual CSWE APM Conference in Dallas, TX (October, 2013). In the case of student groups, the award of $1,000 will be split equally among named students. The award winner may claim up to $500 to offset travel costs for attending the conference by submitting receipts for reimbursement. In the case of student groups, no more than $500 can be made available (total) for travel-related reimbursement. GADE is unable to pay for CSWE membership fees or conference registration.
The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) was established over 25 years ago to provide a forum for sharing ideas and strategies among doctoral programs in social work, and for strengthening efforts at enhancing doctoral education. The membership, comprised of directors of established social work and social welfare doctoral programs located in accredited universities, has established three student awards in hopes of advancing social work scholarship, teaching, and service² – three principal areas in which full-time professors are typically engaged as faculty members. This award reflects a commitment to bring visibility to our greatest resource, our students, who provide us with professional purpose and continuously offer us new ways to think and grow.

• Significance of the academic or professional service activity or project for contributing to excellence in doctoral education, higher education, and/or professional social work through local, state, or national professional or academic associations. 
• Indicators of leadership or initiative in their role.
• Evidence that the academic or professional service has resulted in observable contributions to excellence at the program, School, University, professional, or academic level. 
• Extent to which the academic or professional service has produced observable changes at the program, School, University, professional, or academic level. 

• A nomination may be submitted by an individual, a collaborative group of students, or a doctoral student organization. 
• At least one nominee must currently be enrolled in a social work doctoral program that holds an active membership in GADE.
• The academic or professional service activity must have been initiated while each nominee was enrolled as a doctoral student, and may be ongoing or time-limited. 
• More than one nomination may be submitted from one doctoral program. 

Deadline for Nomination: APRIL 1, 2013
Nomination to Include:

1. Name of the Student(s) 
2. Contact information for the student(s) (i.e., phone and e-mail address)
3. University attending

The nomination packet must include:

1. A brief description of the academic or professional service project or activity:
   
   1. A description of how the academic or professional service activity contributes to excellence in the program, School, University, professional, or academic organization;
   2. A description of the leadership role of the doctoral student(s);
   3. A description of how academic or professional service has made an observable contribution to the organization;
   4. A description of how academic or professional service has made observable changes to the organization. 
2. A letter of support from the Ph.D. Program Director or the student’s doctoral advisor attesting to the quality and value of the academic or professional service project or activity AND confirming the nominee(s) has met all of the eligibility criteria. (A signed .pdf document is required.)

Files must be submitted electronically via e-mail attachment.

Submission: Nominations should be submitted to the GADE Award Subcommittee to: [email protected]

The email Subject Line should read:
2013 Service Award Nomination from (Your University).

Application Processing: The GADE Award Subcommittee will review all applications. Applicants will be informed of the final decision on or before July 30, 2013.

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^[1] While GADE highly values volunteer service to the local community, the focus of this award is service to the academic or professional community 

^[2] Information pertaining to the GADE Student Award for Research and the GADE Award for Teaching  in Social Work can be found at: www.gadephd.org.