Weber State University announced on April 27 that the 2026 Hemingway Awards will provide nearly $90,000 in funding for 10 faculty projects. The awards continue a tradition of supporting research and service among university faculty.
The Hemingway Faculty Development Trust was established with a $1 million donation from the Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation in December 1988. The trust supports new faculty grants, vitality grants, and the annual Hemingway Awards to reward faculty excellence.
Each spring, Weber State University faculty submit proposals for collaborative or excellence projects. Collaborative projects involve two or more faculty members from different academic areas, while excellence projects are designed to have significant impact on broader communities. Since 2002, the awards have supported over 800 faculty members across more than 460 projects with total funding exceeding $1.2 million.
The Gwen Williams Prize is also awarded each year to recognize extraordinary work by a completed Hemingway project within the past two years. This prize includes $5,000 and a crystal award and honors Gwen Strandquist Williams for her years of service as a trustee.
Projects funded this year include research into siRNA therapy for liver cancer treatment in mice; collaborative media storytelling; global community-engaged learning with partners in Prague; interprofessional education across health professions; revitalizing secondary teaching programs; censorship studies; opportunities in Latin America; biocrust monitoring networks; analysis of law enforcement officer turnover; and geothermal energy communication initiatives.
Weber State University advances community transformation through civic engagement and public service, according to the official website. The university operates on a campus at the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains according to its official website. It focuses on educating diverse students to transform lives through supportive learning environments according to its official website.
Weber State stands out as Utah’s first comprehensive regional university according to its official website, operating under authorization from Utah Code to confer degrees according to its official website. Its educational offerings include teaching, research opportunities, experiential learning experiences, and civic engagement activities according to its official website.