The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) is pleased to invite submissions for the 2026 Program of the Year (POY) Award. This award is given annually to one or more outstanding CPED member institutions whose programming demonstrates distinction, excellence, innovation, impact, and alignment with the CPED Framework to promote continuous improvement within varied local contexts. Rogers (2003) defines an innovation as “an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption” (p. 12). This award is not intended to identify a so-called “best” program among CPED members but rather to offer evidence of a proofing site that lifts up and features a program’s approaches and components that might stimulate change and innovation among other CPED-influenced programs. We seek programmatic innovations that are noteworthy for you, that have been impactful for your institution and your students – and that you feel would benefit other CPED member institutions. The award provides a means for an institution’s program(s) to achieve distinction while simultaneously allowing the consortium to document and track long-term efforts to maintain the integrity and fidelity of CPED-influenced EdD programs.  

The POY 2026 award builds upon the award’s purpose – to cause CPED members to grapple with something new and different and contribute to the original intent of CPED to develop “proofing sites” (Imig et al., 2009).  The POY award illuminates a CPED-influenced program that is exemplary in how future “stewards of practice” are prepared to foster a more just and equitable world, be that in their local communities or across the globe. The winner will be announced at the 2025 CPED Fall Convening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   

A committee representing approximately 10% of CPED’s member institutions facilitates the processes and outcomes of the Program of the Year Award. Each year, this committee reviews the relevance of the award and updates the quality indicators that guide its selection process.  The quality indicators are described in a rubric that includes components for the preliminary and final applications.  

Programs of the Year are not necessarily “best” programs. Rather, we seek applicants who have developed innovative initiatives that have been impactful for their population and community.  POY award winners serve as opportunities for learning, as beacons for member institutions, and award recipient journeys become part of CPED’s institutional knowledge base.  There are a variety of ways in which award recipients contribute to this knowledge base:  presentations, articles, and supporting future year POY awards through participation on the POY Committee.  Details on the submission and evaluation process are below. 

Eligible applicants need to have graduated students from the CPED-influenced program component described in the application, in which the innovation described took place. Applications will be examined for concrete evidence that the innovation has impacted the institution and its communities. 

The application process has two phases. Phase one consists of a preliminary application explaining how the program innovation is aligned with CPED’s principles as a condition and confirms qualification for the award related to student graduates from the program innovation. Those who meet this threshold will be invited to continue to phase two and submit a full application focused only on the innovation you wish to highlight and the impact that innovation has had on equity and social justice.  A full timeline for POY 2026 is as follows: 

Are you interested, but want to know more?  

Join us at our Fall 2025 convening on October 23rd at 9:30 AM for an information session with POY’s 2025 winner, Radford University, where you’ll be privy to their application process and also gain some basics for POY 2026.

In addition, two virtual information sessions on the application process will be held this fall.  

November 17th at noon EST 

Zoom link: https://baylor.zoom.us/j/83711479715?pwd=m1h7lze8dtt0vOWWxaHnOWPqWvFCBT.1  

and 

December 4th at 3:00 PM EST 

Zoom link: https://baylor.zoom.us/j/81782110297?pwd=TxjfvWqraALLcpxdygPHbA9bHbCme6.1  

SUBMIT YOUR PRELIMINARY APPLICATION HERE.

The closing date for the completed Preliminary Application is February 2, 2026, 11:59 PST.   

Imig, D., Perry, J.A., & Syed, S. (2009). Creating rubrics for the assessment of the Ed.D.: Narrative report to the Spencer Foundation.  Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate. 

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusions of innovations (5th ed.). The Free Press.