Securing Strong Letters of Support

Nearly all applications and nominations require letters of support or the contact information for references.

How can you choose referees who will best represent you?

Tailor your references to the award.

Ask yourself: who should be your referee based on the award that you are applying to? While you might have a handful of colleagues that you frequently rely on, change up your reference list. Think about who can best speak to your eligibility for a particular award? For example:

• For a teaching award, it can be helpful to have a past student or mentee write on your behalf. They can directly address your impact as a teacher and a mentor.
• Reviewers for a travel award, such as a Fulbright, will likely want to hear from someone who you’ve collaborated with internationally, or who can address your ability to serve as a cultural ambassador.
• For research awards, consider letters from your department head, the dean of your college, dean of research, past collaborators, and/or top researchers in your field. It can be helpful to have someone outside your university speak to the impact of your research on their work, on the work of others, or on an area of study.

If you are early career faculty, your reference list should no longer be comprised solely of your dissertation committee.

This can make you appear like a student and it doesn’t shine a light on your new role as faculty member. So, think about how you can expand your references in your first years as faculty.

Read instructions pertaining to references closely.

Oftentimes you can find this type of advice in the FAQs.

• If the application says references are optional, provide references nonetheless. But make sure your letters will enhance your application. Be mindful of advice from the award governing body about who not to use for a reference. For example, they may limit how many internal references you can have, or not want someone with whom you have a business partnership. Sometimes it is more impactful to include someone in your field with whom you do not work closely.
• Many awards specify the need for letters of support from scholars outside of your home institution. It is important to have at least one individual write on your behalf who is not from NC State. This is especially true in the case of research awards. 

Seek out referees who are past recipients.

These individuals were selected because they fit the profile of who the granting organization funds. Given that, they’ve gained a certain level of credibility in terms of speaking to the potential of a future awardee. Whenever possible, reach out to past collaborators, current or past colleagues, etc. who have won the award that you are applying to. In addition to letters, seek their support in other ways: ask for advice, sample materials, and/or ask if they are willing to read your materials before submission. 

Draft materials (at least in part) before contacting referees.

Your referees are busy people and writing letters can be taxing when multiplied across all of one’s contacts. Make it easier for your referees to support your application by doing the following:

• Contact referees early, but not so early that they will forget that you’ve asked for their help. Ideally, you should ask for a letter of support with a two month lead time.
• Provide drafts of materials so that your referees more fully understand your proposed project and past work. ALWAYS provide an updated CV.
• Guide your referees by letting them know what you would like them to highlight about your candidacy. This can also help assure that all of your letters don’t read the same. In that respect, consider asking each referee to address different aspects of your candidacy based on your individual relationship/history. 
• If you have time, provide language that referees can directly use in letters of support. The easier you make the process, the more likely you will receive a strong letter. 

Set clear deadlines.

The semester gets busy so it is important to provide an internal deadline that is before the actual deadline. Also set internal deadlines for yourself to send reminder emails. 

Do not recycle letters.

Always seek out new or updated letters. If you had someone write for you in the past, make sure that you highlight what has changed about your candidacy since they last wrote. Reviewers can tell when a letter has been recycled. For some awards, your application may stay active for 2-3 years. In this case, it is still important to update your application or nomination packet with the most relevant information.