The University of Colorado has opened its 2026 Innovation & Efficiency (CU I&E) Awards program, inviting employees to submit projects that improve university operations. The annual awards recognize initiatives that enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and clarify processes across the university’s campuses.
This year’s submissions include several new projects. One is the MechE MS Thesis Incentive & Milestones framework, which uses a milestone-based system to guide students through the thesis process. This approach links progress to funding and clearer communication between students and faculty. According to organizers, this structure has saved the department more than $100,000 in one year.
Another submission is the Sustainable Lab Equipment Reuse Marketplace. This internal platform allows departments to share usable lab equipment instead of discarding it. The marketplace helps reduce both waste and purchasing costs while keeping valuable items in use.
A third project, Automating Advancement Report User Guides, utilizes Copilot technology to transform business intelligence report metadata into user guides automatically. What previously required days of manual work can now be accomplished in hours, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks and improving documentation accuracy.
In 2025, the top award was given to Sustainability in Simulation Operations at CU Anschutz. The competition for this year’s top honor remains open as new submissions continue to come in from all campuses.
Cash prizes up to $1,500 will be awarded by a judging panel for selected projects.
“The CU Innovation & Efficiency (CU I&E) Awards celebrate those forward‑thinking improvements that save time, reduce waste, boost clarity and strengthen the university’s operations,” according to a statement from the Office of University Controller.
Additional information about project submissions and details about current entries can be found on the university’s website.
