Nominations are now being accepted for the Burkhardt Seed Grant Professorship. This professorship was established by Martin E. and Kathleen M. Burkhardt. It is awarded to a university-funded faculty member in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and supports and encourages early-stage, high-risk/high-reward research across disciplines.

The Burkhardt Seed Grant Professorship provides the recipient with a research allocation of $32,000 per year for five years. This allocation can be used to support the recipient’s research program. This allocation can also be used for graduate student tuition and/or stipend, faculty summer salary, academic staff salary, supplies and expenses, travel, or other expenditures that support the teaching and research environment of the faculty member. The appointment is for a five-year term. After five years, nominations for the professorship are re-opened. Current or past recipients may be nominated and considered for reappointment. Only one nomination per department may be submitted. The nominee must have completed all annual employee requirements to be eligible. 

The nomination packet should be submitted as one pdf containing only the following items:

1. A brief cover letter of nomination from the nominee’s department chair
2. A research proposal written by the nominee (limit to two pages single-spaced)
3. The nominee’s current CV

Please note that the nomination packet may be shared with the donors when they are notified of the recipient.

The research proposal should describe a single project relevant to the nominee’s field of study that can be accomplished in the five-year period of the award. The proposed project can be part of a larger study, but it will be important for the nominee to specify the work to be done during the period of the professorship and the expected use of the flexible research fund. Preference will be given to research proposals that include the following:

1. Early-stage, high-risk/high-reward research, which spans interdisciplinary interests.
2. Out-of-the-box research that could have the potential to significantly change the world.
3. Faculty collaboration across the college and/or university.

A committee chosen from among the faculty members of the CALS Research Advisory Committee will be asked to recommend a recipient.    

Nominations must be submitted electronically via this Google form by Monday, April 13, 2026 at noon. Late and incomplete nominations will not be accepted.

Please contact Kara Luedtke with questions.