2025 University Laboratory Safety Innovation Awards
Call for Applications
Deadline: October 1st at 5:00 PM
The University Laboratory Safety Committee (ULSC), in partnership with ASU Knowledge Enterprise and ASU Environmental Health and Safety, is calling for applications for the 2025 Laboratory Safety Innovation Award competition. The competition recognizes implementation of an innovative research or teaching safety program. It acknowledges outstanding effort of principal investigators, staff and students who demonstrate their shared commitment to safe and responsible conduct in a laboratory or academic setting. The ULSC is interested in new, innovative ways to improve the culture and safety practices at ASU. This program will award proposals that integrate enhanced safety practices into research and teaching activities.
Sparky Safety Award – Faculty or Staff – $2,000
The Sparky Safety Award recognizes research or academic faculty or staff who have implemented an innovative safety enhancement. The enhancement may be discipline-specific or more broadly applicable. Categories of enhancements include:
- Improved safety culture
- Exceptional safety performance
- Demonstrated safety initiative
- Innovative safety concept
Leon Igras Award for Excellence in Safety – Students and Non-Faculty researchers – $500
The Leon Igras Award for Excellence in Safety recognizes undergraduate, graduate students and post-doctoral researchers who have developed laboratory safety enhancements for their work or classroom spaces.
Nominations
To nominate an individual or a team for either the Sparky Safety Award or the Leon Igras Award for Excellence in Safety, please submit a one-page summary of the following:
- Description of the innovative program or process and how it significantly improves lab safety culture and/or performance
- Details of the efficacy of the program or process and how it could be shared with other ASU community members
- Include notice of support by the unit director, compliance safety officer or others who are aware of and can confirm the innovation.
- At least two notices of support are required.
The Award Committee comprised of ULSC members will review and rank the applications to select the winning submittals.
Timeframe
Application deadline – October 1
Final selection – November 3
For questions about the award, contact Deb Murphy at [email protected] or Suzanne Kennedy at [email protected].