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University Libraries Award for Outstanding Gemstone Team

The University Libraries and the Honors College are collaborating to emphasize both the importance of solid research methods and the use of high-quality information resources in student research projects.

An annual award will recognize Gemstone teams that demonstrate excellence in the research process of finding, evaluating and integrating appropriate scholarly resources in their team research proposal. In addition, this award will recognize student teams that demonstrate excellence in the integration of principles of information literacy and who conduct research with integrity and diligence. The prizes are given to support the completion of the proposed projects.

  • 1st prize: $2000
  • 2nd prize: $1000 each (two prizes awarded)

Applications are due February 19, 2024.

Procedures
  1. Gemstone teams present their proposals during February of the sophomore year. The Gemstone leadership group reviewing these proposals will add at least one librarian to take part in this review of all team proposals. The review team will select the top three students team proposals (currently out of a total of twelve team proposals) for the Libraries Award.
  2. These top three teams will present their proposals in an event to be held in the Libraries sometime between late February and early April. There will be a panel consisting of librarians, alumni and library friends who will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes. The panel will make their selections immediately after the student presentations and prizes will be awarded at a ceremony/reception at this time.
  3. Gemstone will publicize the award to students and will recognize the award recipients at several events, including the Junior Colloquium each fall semester, the Gemstone Top Terps awards ceremony in April of each year, and the senior Citation Ceremony at spring commencement.

For more information about the University Libraries Award for Outstanding Gemstone Team, contact Amber Pierdinock-Weed at apierdin@umd.edu.

Funding is provided by Friends of the Libraries to support activities that foster student success.

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