Once annually, the Office of the Vice President for Research reviews nominations for nine major awards that recognize faculty and staff excellence in research, scholarship, and creative activities. These awards, a part of the long-standing Discovery and Innovation Awards program, celebrate researchers and scholars who receive national recognition for forging new frontiers of discovery.

Three University of Iowa faculty members — Kaveh Akbar, Jamel Brinkley, and Charles D’Ambrosio — were recognized with 2025 Awards in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The awards honor the work of both emerging and established writers and will be presented to awardees at a ceremony in May.