UC ANR is growing, and we understand many of our employees have performed extraordinarily throughout this very dynamic year.
To recognize these employees, the 2026 Employee Recognition & Awards Program (ERAP) includes exciting reward opportunities (see nomination form below).
- Individual Awards: Individual awardees will now receive $1,000 (up from $500).
- Team Awards: Team awards will not exceed $3,000 which will be divided equally among members.
- Best of the Best: The best individual award submission will receive $2,500.
- Staff Inclusion Excellence: The best individual award submission will receive $2,500.
Nomination Form 2026 is due by midnight April 1, 2026. Stay tuned for information on the academic recognition program.
Program Criteria: Under ERAP, managers can nominate employees for exceptional performance and/or significant contributions related to and supportive of individual, departmental, divisional, and/or organizational goals and objectives. Managers may nominate individuals and teams demonstrating:
- Exceptional performance: Demonstrated and sustained exceptional performance that consistently exceeds goals and work expectations in quantity and/or quality.
- Creativity: One-time innovation or creation that results in time/dollar savings, revenue enhancement, and productivity improvement; and/or ongoing innovative/creative activities that benefit organizational systems, protocols, and/or procedures.
- Organizational abilities: Exhibiting extraordinary skills in leadership resulting in the accomplishment of significant departmental or divisional goals and objectives; effective project management, which could include developing a project and/or implementing a project with substantial success; and/or demonstrating organizational capability leading to a greater level of effectiveness.
- Work success: Significantly exceeding productivity, customer service, quality of care or similar goals, including demonstrating superior interactions with managers, peers, supervisors, subordinates, the University community, and/or clients and customers served.
- Teamwork: Acting as an exceptionally effective and cooperative team member or team leader for a team that has significantly exceeded the goals/objectives of the department/unit.
- Best of the Best: The best individual award submission will use the same criteria as the individual awards but will have shown the most significant impact to the organization and will act as an example for all future awardees.
- Staff Inclusive Excellence– Significant contributions that continue to build an organization of inclusion and belonging that strengthens community, promotes critical thinking, enriches the research, education, and extension experiences, and gives the university an intellectual and competitive advantage. For staff members who consistently go above and beyond in the workplace while exhibiting our core values as affirmed in our Principles of Community.
Eligibility: The ERAP cash award program is available to current policy-covered career, contract or limited PSS and MSP employees, as well as exclusively represented employees in the Clerical Unit (CX).
- Members of other exclusively represented bargaining units, academics, and members of the Senior Management Group are not eligible to receive cash awards under the ERAP program. However, they are encouraged to nominate and/or endorse PSS/MSP employees.
- Individuals who received an award last year (2025 Winners) are not eligible for the program. Past nominees who did or did not receive an award may be nominated again.
- Nominees must have completed a probationary period.
Received a “Meets Expectations” or better overall rating on their most recent annual performance evaluation and nominees must demonstrate exemplary performance of activities that are above and beyond the scope of assigned responsibilities during the July 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026 period.
Nominations must include a supporting narrative that focuses on accomplishments achieved during the during the last year. Nominations without the narrative will not be considered.
Academic award program details to be announced.
NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS:
Nomination Form 2026 Nominations should be submitted via e-mail to humanresources@ucanr.edu by midnight April 1, 2026.
Nominators are responsible for documenting the approval of each nominee’s supervisor as part of the application submission. PDF copy of email approval from the supervisor(s) will be accepted.
April - May 2026: Review committee reviews applications and recommends individuals and teams to be awarded. The Vice President of ANR has final authority to approve ERAP awards.
Mid-May 2026: Unit directors and award winners are notified of the final decisions.
June 25, 2026: ERAP Awards celebrated during an ANR recognition event.
Questions regarding the ANR ERAP Plan should be directed to humanresources@ucanr.edu.