KU Libraries now accepting nominations for 2025 Shulenburger Award

KU Libraries is accepting nominations for the 2025 David Shulenburger Award for Innovation and Advocacy in Scholarly Communication through Friday, Sept. 19.  

Established in 2014 with a gift from David Shulenburger, former provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas, the annual award honors KU faculty, staff, students and departments who advance open access and champion innovation in scholarly communication. 

Winners are selected for outstanding contributions that support open sharing of research and drive systemic improvements in how knowledge is communicated. Up to two recipients – either individuals or academic units – may be selected. Award amounts range from $500 to $2,500. Individual recipients may also be invited to join KU’s Open Access Advisory Board. 

Last year’s recipient was Raj Bhala, distinguished professor of Law. In an effort to increase affordability for students and to broaden access for international colleagues shut out by costly paywalls, Bhala worked with a team at KU Libraries to openly publish his widely used textbook on international trade law. The expanded edition of “International Trade Law: A Comprehensive E-Textbook Volumes 1-8", containing more than 6,000 pages, is free and openly accessible to anyone via KU ScholarWorks.   

This year’s award recipients will be announced during International Open Access Week, which runs Oct. 20-26. KU Libraries will also host a keynote talk by Michael Dougherty, chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland. Dougherty championed the adoption of new guidelines that codify open science as a core criteria in faculty tenure and promotion review and will share the experience in a talk titled, “Aligning incentives with institutional values: Reforming faculty evaluation to promote (and reward) scholarship for the public good.” His presentation will take place Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m. in Watson Library’s Three West Reading Room. 

Nominations for the Shulenburger Award, including self-nominations, must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 19. Additional information is available online or by contacting Josh Bolick, head of the Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright, via email (jbolick@ku.edu).