Society for Social Work and Research - Awards and Fellowship Program
Recognizing excellence is central to SSWR's mission to advance the field of social work research. Our prestigious SSWR Awards celebrate the groundbreaking contributions of researchers, mentors, and emerging scholars who are driving innovation and generating evidence to address society's most pressing challenges.
The SSWR Fellows designation honors distinguished members for their sustained impact and exemplary service, symbolizing the highest level of achievement in our discipline. Explore the criteria and past recipients who embody the dedication and leadership defining the future of social welfare.
2026 Awards
Call for Nominations for the 2026 SSWR Awards. Read more below.
Fellowship Program
Fellows are members who have served with distinction to advance the mission of SSWR.
2026 Awards Details
May 2, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
The SSWR Board of Directors is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for the 2026 SSWR Awards.
We encourage you to read the SSWR Board's statement from June 22, 2022, on recognizing and supporting research excellence across various methods, epistemologies, theories, and substantive research areas. The statement also seeks to deepen our profession’s commitment to research that directly and indirectly informs anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and socially just practices and policies.
To read the entire statement, please click here.
Please read each call for nominations carefully, as some requirements and criteria may have changed. If you have any questions regarding the nomination process, please email Kristen Reamy, Membership and Awards Coordinator, at kristen@sswr.org.
Best regards,
Joan Blakey, PhD
SSWR Awards Committee Chair
| 2026 AWARDS (Download the PDF for the award description and nomination/application procedures) |
DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS/APPLICATIONS |
| Distinguished Career Achievement Award (Download PDF) |
June 30, 2025 |
| Aaron Rosen Lecture (Download PDF) |
June 30, 2025 |
| Book Award for Best Scholarly Book Published (Download PDF) |
June 30, 2025 |
| Excellence in Research Award (Download PDF) |
June 30, 2025 |
| Social Policy Researcher Awards (Download PDF) |
June 30, 2025 |
| Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award (Download PDF) |
June 30, 2025 |
| Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award (Download PDF)
*This award requires advance registration for ID#. The deadline to register for an ID# is August 4, 2025. |
August 25, 2025* |
| Doctoral Fellows Award (Download PDF)
*This award requires advance registration for ID#. The deadline to register for an ID# is August 4, 2025. |
August 25, 2025* |
| Community-Research Partnership Award (Download PDF) |
August 18, 2025 |
*Awards require advance registration for ID#s. The deadline for ID#s is August 4, 2025.
