The ACA Best Practices Research, Faculty Award recognizes a best practices research project conducted by a counselor educator faculty member.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
To be considered for this award, research projects completed within the last two years must have furthered the evidence base for the counseling practice. Eligible projects may include original research or a synthesis of the research literature supporting a particular practice or approach. 

A total of five Best Practices in Research Awards, inclusive of all categories (Counseling Practitioner, Faculty, Student), may be awarded.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 11:59pm ET

AWARD NOTIFICATION
Week of January 12, 2026

JUDGES
ACA Research and Knowledge Committee

PRIZE 
Complimentary registration for the 2026 ACA Conference and Expo (April 9-11, 2026, Columbus, Ohio) and recognition during the event. Winners will receive further information at the time of award notification.

Sponsor:  The American Counseling Association Foundation

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ELIGIBILITY, RULES AND CRITERIA
Any ACA member whose primary professional activity involves an academic appointment in a department of counselor education or counseling psychology is eligible for this award.

  • Nominations must come from an ACA member. Self-nominations are accepted.
  • The awardee must be an ACA member.
  • An individual can only be nominated for one award per year.

NOMINATION GUIDELINES
The total submission package for this award cannot exceed 16 pages in length. All nomination materials must be combined into one document (all formats accepted), with the nomination letter first.

Nomination letter: In the letter, identify the nominee and the specific award. Explain why you believe the nominee should receive the award by responding to the specific criteria outlined in the nomination criteria. Keep in mind that the award reviewers are relying on the information you provide to choose the most deserving recipient for the award. Please address each nomination criteria and make sure your nominee meets the award criteria and requirements. Brevity, clarity and specificity are most important here.

All applications must include:

  • A description of the project using a standard Abstract form: Background, Research Question, Methods, Results and Conclusions. The detailed abstract should be no more than 1,000 words.
  • A 300-word justification of why this research should be given a Best Practices in Research Award.
  • Two recommendation letters from individuals with knowledge about the contribution of the research (no more than two pages): Two letters of recommendation should be included from individuals familiar with the research project.
  • Recommendation letters should not be written by the nominee or co-authors of an article unless the nomination stems from a dissertation and the co-author is the dissertation chair (please disclose if this is the case).
  • Acknowledgment from the publisher of any work accepted for publication.

Supporting materials: Include a nominee biography. If there are additional materials (news reports, journal articles, etc.) that you feel help support the nominee’s achievements, please include a copy of them. You may also include a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae (CV) or resume of no more than four pages, highlighting the nominee’s relevant accomplishments. Keep in mind that the total submission cannot exceed 16 pages in length.