Today’s most urgent challenges—ranging from climate change and global health to the ethics of technological developments or cross-cultural understanding—cannot be adequately addressed within the confines of any single discipline. These grand challenges demand innovative approaches that draw upon a variety of fields, methodologies, and perspectives. The Obermann Interdisciplinary Achievement Award honors University of Iowa faculty at any rank whose work manifests this spirit of intellectual collaboration and boundary-crossing inquiry.
The Obermann Interdisciplinary Achievement Award recognizes individuals or teams whose trajectories have engaged diverse disciplines to produce insights that would be unattainable within a single academic silo. These scholars cultivate collaborative work, fostering dialogue across academic fields and institutional units. Their research or creative work engages with foundational questions that resonate across society. By recognizing interdisciplinary excellence, the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies reaffirms its commitment to nurturing a scholarly environment where creativity and collaboration flourish.
The honor carries a $2,000 award in the form of either a taxable special compensation payment or research funds. (In the case of case of teams, the $2,000 will be divided among the members, if special compensation is requested.) The awardee(s) will be featured in Obermann Center media and recognized in the Obermann Counterpoint event, where they will discuss their work in a public dialogue. One award will be given every academic year to a single faculty member or a research group.
Nominations will be accepted from deans, associate deans, DEOs, and institute/center directors. Nomination packages are due on Feb. 2, 2026. Winner(s) will be announced before the end of the Spring semester. The public event will take place the following Fall.
For nomination instructions, please see the Obermann Interdisciplinary Achievement Award website.
Note: this memo was also published on Dec. 3, 2025.