ACM SIGACCESS/SIGCHI Vicki L. Hanson Early Career Research Award in Computing Accessibility
The ACM SIGACCESS/SIGCHI Vicki L. Hanson Early Career Research Award in Computing Accessibility recognizes outstanding early-career researchers whose work has made significant contributions to the field of computing accessibility. Jointly sponsored by ACM SIGACCESS and ACM SIGCHI, the award honors the memory and legacy of Vicki L. Hanson, whose pioneering research, leadership, mentorship, and service helped shape the field of accessibility and inclusive computing.
The award recognizes researchers who have demonstrated excellence, originality, and impact in accessibility research while also showing strong potential for future leadership in the field. In keeping with Vicki Hanson’s longstanding commitment to supporting emerging researchers, the award celebrates exceptional early-career achievements and encourages the continued development of future leaders in the computing accessibility community.
Candidates’ contributions may include innovative research, influential scholarship, impactful systems or applications, community leadership, and advances that improve accessibility and inclusion through computing technology.
The recipient may elect to receive the award at the next upcoming ASSETS or SIGCHI-sponsored conference, with travel funding provided to support attendance. A certificate of recognition will be presented at the conference, and the recipient may be invited to give a talk at the conference where the award is presented, subject to program and scheduling considerations. Such a lecture is optional and would be coordinated with the host conference.
Eligibility
Nominees must:
- Have received their most recent PhD (or other terminal degree) within the previous seven years.
- Be current members of either ACM SIGACCESS or ACM SIGCHI.
Appropriate consideration will be given to career interruptions or disruptions when evaluating eligibility.
Making a Nomination
Nominations for the award must include:
- A nomination letter (1–2 pages) describing the nominee’s contributions, impact, and suitability for the award;
- The nominee’s current curriculum vitae;
- Two to four letters of support describing the significance and impact of the nominee’s contributions.
The nomination rules are:
- The nominee must satisfy the eligibility requirements described above.
- The nominee must be a current member of either SIGACCESS or SIGCHI.
- Self-nominations are not permitted.
- Nominations that do not result in an award may be resubmitted in future years, provided the nominee remains eligible.
Selection Criteria
The primary criteria will be the excellence, originality, and impact of the nominee’s research contributions in computing accessibility, evaluated in light of the nominee’s career stage and opportunities. The selection committee may consider, as appropriate:
- the significance of the research contributions,
- the originality and innovation of the work,
- evidence of scholarly or practical impact,
- evidence of involvement of disability leadership in the research (e.g. through community partners or lived experience),
- evidence of successful translation into or influence on the broader disability community,
- influence on the computing accessibility research community or on related areas of computing,
- the extent to which the work addresses important challenges in accessibility,
- the extent to which the work addresses gaps such as domains of accessibility that are overlooked, or work that combines research in accessibility with other understudied concerns,
- evidence of exceptional promise for sustained future leadership and impact,
- evidence of contribution to the accessibility and inclusiveness of the field for people with disabilities, and
- evidence of contribution to the success of people with disabilities in the field.
Relevant evidence may include publications, citation or usage indicators where appropriate, research awards, adoption or influence of the work, letters of support, community impact, and other indicators of scholarly contribution. Because this is an early-career award, the committee should evaluate nominees relative to opportunity and career stage rather than relying solely on cumulative metrics.
Details for Upcoming Cycle
The deadline for nominations for the 2027 award is November 14, 2026 (Anywhere on Earth).
The inaugural recipient will be announced in early 2027 and will have the opportunity to receive the award at either CHI 2027 or ASSETS 2027, according to the recipient’s preference.
Submit your nomination through the SIGCHI awards nomination system: SIGCHI Awards Nomination System
Additional information about the award, eligibility requirements, nomination process, and evaluation criteria is available in the original announcement: Read the Full Award Announcement