Biography Writing for Award Nominations and Honorary Doctorates

Honorary Doctorate Degree is awarded to individuals for their exceptional contributions in any field or society implementing on a larger population. The misconception of Honorary Doctorate Degree belonging to famous personalities and politicians is totally invalid and wrong. It is given to anyone with exceptional contributions to society as a token of gratitude and honor. It is to inform them of their importance and their dedication, which makes the world a better place. 

While many individuals are educated enough or have known through someone else about the Honorary Doctorate Degree, they wouldn’t know about its diversification further to Honorary Professorship and Honorary Doctorate Awards. An individual also would not know about the Biography Writing which is one of the most essential documents to submit with the nomination. It is, however, also a lesser-known fact that a nomination can only be cast by the university administration and not by the recipient who is interested in receiving an award. 

This article, thereby, focuses on Biography Writing and its role, key elements, writing tips and common mistakes that one can encounter. This article will also help you in knowing more about Honorary Doctorate Degree and thereby overcome the set misconceptions. 

Table Of Content

What is an Honorary Doctorate Degree? 

An Honorary Doctorate Degree is awarded to individuals who have exceptionally contributed to society or any specific field of knowledge helping or educating a larger audience. With the help of your accomplishments towards society, an individual gains access to the doctoral (Dr.) title before their name. Honorary Doctorate Degree adds prestige and a sensational pride to your name.  

The process of receiving an Honorary Doctorate Degree is 3-4 years. An individual is usually nominated by the university as commonly seen in the case of many famous personalities including Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Sharukh Khan, and many more. But, even in the case of common people, university professionals should nominate you, one cannot self-nominate themselves.  

An interesting thing worthy to note is that an individual does not need to have any set educational qualifications or any age limit to be able to receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree. An individual can receive it at any age with no educational background if they have contributed to the welfare of society. 

Distinguishing Honorary Doctorate Degree, Professorship and Awards 

Honorary Doctorate Degree, Honorary Professorship and Honorary Doctorate Awards all fall under the category of Honorary Honors given by academic or professional institutions. They all can be differentiated in many contexts and frameworks. Below is a table for a better understanding of the same: 

The Role of Biography in Nomination Process of Honorary Doctorate Degree 

A well-crafted biography plays a big role in the nomination process for the Honorary Doctorate Degree. It helps a nominee elevate their status and accomplishments in front of the other nominees. Mentioned below are some of the pointers which talk about the role of biography in the nomination process: 

1. Helps in Establishing First Impressions: Biography is the first thing that the Honorary Doctorate Committee is interested in and looks at. Making strong impressions and setting the right tone is very important to be further nominated and examined for the award. 
2. Connects Achievements to Impact: One of the documents that are needed in the nomination documents is the CV of an individual for further examination. While a CV helps the committee in suggesting what an individual has done, a Biography suggests Why it Matters. It helps in connecting an academic milestone, innovations, recognitions to the societal or academic impact that they have created. 
3. Inspires and Persuades: A biography acts as a persuasive document. An institution is more likely to be convinced that awarding the degree will not only honor the nominee but also the values and prestige of the individual.  

Key Elements for a Strong Biography 

A nominee’s biography holds a higher value for themselves. Biographies help in holding an enduring appeal because they offer people an opportunity to explore the depths of an individual’s psyche, unravelling their accomplishments while discovering their vulnerabilities and triumphs which left a deep impact on the society.  

Below mentioned are some of the key elements which are important and should be mentioned while writing a biography: 

1.Opening Statement: Hooking the reader from the start by summarizing the accomplishments and nominee’s essence can help the reader understand the nominee. One can also include powerful quotes said by themselves to create a deeper impact.
2. Background and Education: Biography Writing looks easy and is easy. Start by mentioning the early life and career milestones that have helped in becoming who you are.
3. Career Achievements: Mention the accomplishments, leadership roles, recognitions that you have achieved in the process.
4. Impact on Society: Using a compelling story-telling format, make the readers indulge in a story where you decided to change and help the world in some way. This could include philanthropy, mentoring, or community service.
5. Awards and Recognitions: This one is the easiest. Mention all your awards, newspaper clippings, certificates, medals, etc. Which validates credibility.
6. Legacy & Vision: Talk about the future and the legacy. Mention what and how your work will have a lasting influence. 

Writing Tips for an Award-Worthy Biography 

Biography Writing might seem like a difficult task, but it is one of the easiest tasks if you have the power over your own words and self. An individual can easily write an influential biography keeping the following pointers in mind: 

1.Be Concise but Powerful: An individual who wants to be a nominee should be aware that every word and sentence carries an unprecedented weight. Many individuals get rejected only because they don’t understand this.
2. Use Active Language: Even the usage of past or present tense matters a lot. With biography writing, an individual should always use the present tense as your initiative will always be an ongoing process. It will never be the past.
3. Focus on Impact over Duties: Having responsibilities and working on you on them is not an accomplishment. Focus on the impact and the outcome as it determines your Honorary Doctorate Degree. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Biography Writing 

While we have provided you with the tips, it is also our duty to let you know some of the common mistakes that people make while penning down their own biography: 

1.Overloading the Data: A nominee sometimes might overload their biography with unnecessary information which is of no use and does not hold any importance in their contribution. Try to keep your biography up to date with only facts in simple language.
2. Writing like a Resume: There is a stark difference between a resume and a biography. An individual should make sure that a biography keeps one compelled like it’s a story progressing towards a beautiful climax.
3. Ignoring Measurable Outcomes: While mentioning an impact, or listing role and responsibilities, it is important to mention the scale, impact and the result of those achievements. 

Conclusion 

Honorary Doctorate Nomination is an easy process if an individual follows through the instructions properly. It only takes 3-4 months for the completion of the process. But it is also important to make sure that an individual has all the important documents including biography writing. 

Frequently Asked Questions