Yesterday, ProPublica announced a set of awards to recognize outstanding investigative work by governmental groups in the United States.  They are calling on people -- citizens, elected officials, government employees and journalists -- to nominate work by federal or state government entities that expose corruption and hold those in power accountable.

Prizes will be awarded in five categories:

• Federal investigation-executive branch
• Federal investigation-legislative branch
• Federal investigation-independent agency
• State or local investigation-multi-district elective or executive agency
• State or local investigation-legislative branch/independent agency

"Some of the most important accountability information comes from inside government itself and ProPublica wants to recognize that," said Paul Steiger, ProPublica editor-in-chief. "Our prizes will acknowledge the crucial role these investigators, and the institutions they represent, play in exposing corruption and shining a light down the darker, and too often secret, corridors of our public institutions."

ProPublica is accepting entries now through January 31, 2009, and will cover work produced during the 2008 calendar year. They will fete the winners at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., next spring.