Numerous awards programs recognize contributions to the internal audit profession and The IIA in areas such as service, research, certification, and writing for IIA publications.
Service Awards
William G. Bishop III, CIA Lifetime Achievement Award
The Institute's Board of Directors formally established the William G. Bishop III, CIA Lifetime Achievement Award in December 2004 to recognize individual members who, through a lifetime of accomplishments and dedication to The Institute, have impacted the practice of internal auditing, advanced the awareness of The IIA, and inspired professionals around the world to make a difference in our profession and in the organizations we serve.
Victor Z. Brink Award for Distinguished Service
The Victor Z. Brink Award for Distinguished Service was established to recognize individuals who, over time, have given unusual and outstanding service to the profession of internal auditing through participation in the activities of The IIA.
Bradford Cadmus Memorial Award
The Bradford Cadmus Memorial Award is a tribute to the memory of Bradford Cadmus — author, educator, researcher, and the first managing director of The Institute.
Research Awards
Michael J. Barrett Doctoral Dissertation Grant
To encourage internal audit studies by doctoral candidates, The IIA Research Foundation offers the Michael J. Barrett Doctoral Dissertation Grant.
Donald E. Ricketts Research Award
The IIA Research Foundation offers annual Donald E. Ricketts Research Award to IIA chapters and Institutes submitting the best research projects during the year.
Esther R. Sawyer Research Award
The annual Esther R. Sawyer Research Award from The IIA Research Foundation is granted to an individual entering or currently enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level or who has completed a program in internal auditing at a participatingInternal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) program school. The award is based on submission of an original manuscript on a specific topic related to modern internal auditing.
Larry Sawyer Research Foundation Project of the Year Award
The annual Larry Sawyer Research Foundation Project of the Year Award recognizes a published research or educational project that most closely aligns with Larry Sawyer’s vision of moving the profession forward by addressing an emerging issue relevant to internal audit. A committee made up of members of the Research Foundation Board of Trustees and the Committee of Research and Education Advisors makes its selection from all the projects completed in the previous year.
Certification Awards
William S. Smith Award
The William S. Smith Award is named in honor of The IIA's first chairman of the Board of Regents, a former IIA chairman of the board, and a driving force behind the development of the Certified Internal Auditor® (CIA®) program. Awards are based on individual performance on the core exam parts (parts 1, 2, and 3). With year-round testing, award recipients must pass each exam part on their first attempt within one year of taking the first exam part.
Writing Awards
Ted Keys Award
The Ted Keys Award — named in honor of the late Elmer Theodore Keys, Jr., a long-time regular writer for an Internal Auditor magazine department — is presented each year for the most outstanding article submitted to one of the magazine’s departments. Winning articles are selected for outstanding quality, clear presentation of ideas, practicality, and relevance to the continuing practice of internal auditing.
Outstanding Contributor Awards
Five Outstanding Contributor Awards are presented annually to authors of articles published in Internal Auditor magazine that are judged exemplary by the Publications Advisory Committee.
John B. Thurston Award
The Board of Directors of The Institute established the John B. Thurston Award in March 1952 as a tribute to the memory of its first international president and an eminent authority in the field of internal auditing. The award is made annually to the author of that article published in Internal Auditor that is voted to be the outstanding paper in the field of internal auditing.