Tiger and Spot Awards recognize one-time exceptional achievements or contributions to the University mission above and beyond one’s normal job responsibilities. All benefits-eligible HR- appointed staff members are eligible.

Nomination process

To submit a nomination, please:

• Fill out the Tiger Award/Spot Award nomination form (also available at the bottom of this page).
  • Tiger Award nominations must be discussed with, approved, and submitted by the nominee’s department academic manager.
  • Spot Award nominations can be submitted by peers, colleagues, or managers.
• Email any questions to: seas-tigerspot@princeton.edu

Nominations are reviewed three times per year and are due on

Guidelines

• These awards are not part of an employee’s regular compensation and cannot be tied in any way to financial goals with revenue metrics, such as donations collected or grant funding obtained.
• These awards should not be distributed to individuals paid overtime for work associated with the accomplishment or contribution being recognized.
• Difference between a Tiger and a Spot Award: Spot Awards acknowledge employee accomplishments with small dollar amounts and allow for peer-to-peer recognition while providing a mechanism for managers to deliver immediate and positive feedback. Tiger Awards are bigger awards meant to recognize efforts that are for more sustained periods of time.
• Tiger awards recognize one-time exceptional achievements or contributions to the University, limited to no more than two in any three-year period. Spot awards are not limited in frequency, and are awarded for going above and beyond regular job responsibilities. Spot awards may be used to recognize one-time, annual, or periodic activities.
• Award versus Merit: An award recognizes a one-time exceptional achievement or contribution to the University mission above and beyond one’s job responsibilities. Merit increases occur annually to maintain salary alignment with the market and to reflect sustained performance in one’s job and a progression of skills.
• You may nominate employees in areas that do not report to you. To do so, contact the employee’s manager to suggest the nomination. The award would be funded through the annual program budget allocation for the area where the employee is located.

Nomination review

A committee appointed by the Office of the Dean and made up of representatives from the engineering departments and centers reviews all nominations. The Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science reviews and approves all nominations recommended by the committee for awards.