Outlook | Newsletter of the Society of Behavioral Medicine

Awards Committee Overview

Laura L. Hayman, RN, PhD, FAAN, Awards Committee Chair

Each year at its annual meeting, the Society of Behavioral Medicine acknowledges the contributions of scientists, clinicians, and training programs with formal awards.

Why are the awards given? Our society is fortunate to have members who have made many outstanding contributions to developing the evidence for understanding the etiology of important human diseases, for designing and testing evidence-based interventions, and for promoting translations of research into practice. We believe it is important to recognize these contributions, both to reward people for their exemplary work and to feel a sense of pride in the accomplishments of our colleagues. Our members are at multiple career stages so we have chosen to recognize both senior and junior scientists. We also recognize the importance of outstanding educators and training programs, responsible for preparing the future generations of scientists and clinicians.

Who is charged with selecting the awardees? The Awards Committee is the standing committee charged with selecting recipients of the Distinguished Scientist Award, Early Career Investigator Award, and Alere Wellbeing Research to Practice Award, and with ratifying the award recipients under the purview of the Education, Training, and Career Development (ETCD) Council. The Committee is composed of senior members of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, currently Laura L. Hayman, RN, PhD, FAAN, (chair), Ed B. Fisher, PhD and Redford B. Williams, MD. Every year one member rotates off and a new member is selected by the Chair and approved by the President. The qualifications for each award are listed elsewhere in this newsletter.

What is the process for selecting awardees? Nominations are requested in this newsletter and on the SBM website and are due on October 31, 2012. The types of materials requested are curriculum vitae, supporting letter, and papers, as appropriate. For the Distinguished Scientist Award, Early Career Investigator Award, and Alere Wellbeing Research to Practice Award, each committee member independently reviews the qualifications and rates them. The ratings are then discussed by the committee and a final selection is made. The committee has the challenge of identifying one person, when often we have many very deserving individuals. We are very proud of the accomplishments of the recipients but at the same time recognize that others are meritorious as well.

The ETCD Council selects recipients of the Outstanding Dissertation Award, Distinguished Student Awards, Distinguished Research and Clinical Mentor Awards, and the Excellence in Behavioral Training Program Award based on the applications submitted online, following a similar process. Special Interest Groups award members within their groups and are asked to nominate candidates for the general awards. The President of the Society of Behavioral Medicine also recognizes the contributions of professional service to the Society.

We hope this brief explanation is helpful to understanding why and how awards are given. Please join us in the process, both in nominating deserving recipients and in joining us at the ceremonies recognizing their work.


Fall 2012	Return to Outlook Main page »
Awards Committee Overview Laura L. Hayman, RN, PhD, FAAN, Awards Committee Chair Each year at its annual meeting, the Society of Behavioral Medicine acknowledges the contributions of scientists, clinicians, and training programs with formal awards. Why are the awards given? Our society is fortunate to have members who have made many outstanding contributions to developing the evidence for understanding the etiology of important human diseases, for designing and testing evidence-based interventions, and for promoting translations of research into practice. We believe it is important to recognize these contributions, both to reward people for their exemplary work and to feel a sense of pride in the accomplishments of our colleagues. Our members are at multiple career stages so we have chosen to recognize both senior and junior scientists. We also recognize the importance of outstanding educators and training programs, responsible for preparing the future generations of scientists and clinicians. Who is charged with selecting the awardees? The Awards Committee is the standing committee charged with selecting recipients of the Distinguished Scientist Award, Early Career Investigator Award, and Alere Wellbeing Research to Practice Award, and with ratifying the award recipients under the purview of the Education, Training, and Career Development (ETCD) Council. The Committee is composed of senior members of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, currently Laura L. Hayman, RN, PhD, FAAN, (chair), Ed B. Fisher, PhD and Redford B. Williams, MD. Every year one member rotates off and a new member is selected by the Chair and approved by the President. The qualifications for each award are listed elsewhere in this newsletter. What is the process for selecting awardees? Nominations are requested in this newsletter and on the SBM website and are due on October 31, 2012. The types of materials requested are curriculum vitae, supporting letter, and papers, as appropriate. For the Distinguished Scientist Award, Early Career Investigator Award, and Alere Wellbeing Research to Practice Award, each committee member independently reviews the qualifications and rates them. The ratings are then discussed by the committee and a final selection is made. The committee has the challenge of identifying one person, when often we have many very deserving individuals. We are very proud of the accomplishments of the recipients but at the same time recognize that others are meritorious as well. The ETCD Council selects recipients of the Outstanding Dissertation Award, Distinguished Student Awards, Distinguished Research and Clinical Mentor Awards, and the Excellence in Behavioral Training Program Award based on the applications submitted online, following a similar process. Special Interest Groups award members within their groups and are asked to nominate candidates for the general awards. The President of the Society of Behavioral Medicine also recognizes the contributions of professional service to the Society. We hope this brief explanation is helpful to understanding why and how awards are given. Please join us in the process, both in nominating deserving recipients and in joining us at the ceremonies recognizing their work.