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The Awards Subcommittee of the 2003 AGS Annual Meeting Program Committee is seeking nominations for several national awards. These awards recognize individuals whose outstanding work in geriatrics education, research and clinical practice contributes to the delivery of high quality health care for older people. This brochure describes the award criteria and the nomination and application process.

Candidates may be nominated for more than one award, but will be selected for only one.

All awardees will be presented with a plaque during the Awards Ceremony held at the 2003 AGS Annual Scientific Meeting, May 14 - 18 in Baltimore, MD. The Annual Meeting registration fee is waived for all awardees.

The NOMINATION DEADLINE for all awards is DECEMBER 4, 2002.

We encourage you to utilize the opportunity these awards provide to recognize outstanding contributions to the expanding field of geriatrics. Thank you for participating in this important process.

Dennis W. Jahnigen, MD (1947-1998), was acclaimed as an extraordinary teacher, receiving numerous awards from students and faculty. In 1998, the AGS awarded him the Milo D. Leavitt Award to recognize his distinguished career in geriatrics education. Dr. Jahnigen's clinical skills and heartfelt, compassionate concern for older adults continue to flourish in the many students who have benefited from his teaching and mentorship.

Purpose: This award is given annually to an AGS member who has provided leadership to train students in geriatrics and has contributed significantly to the progress of geriatrics education in health professions schools.

Nomination Process: Nominations must consist of a letter of nomination, at least one additional letter of support from colleagues, and the nominee's curriculum vitae. The nomination letters should specifically address how the individual's accomplishments relate to the purpose of the award.

Award: Travel expenses to attend the AGS Annual Meeting.

The New Investigator Awards are awarded to individuals whose original research, as presented in a submitted abstract, reflects new and relevant research in geriatrics. Five awards will be presented at the 2003 meeting.

Eligibility: The New Investigator Awards are open to young investigators in medicine (including physicians and physician assistants), nursing, and pharmacy, Fellows-in-Training as well as new and junior investigators who have held an academic appointment for no longer than five years. The awards are intended to recognize the applicants work in clinical geriatrics, including medicine, psychiatry, nursing and all other relevant disciplines. The work reported must not have been published or presented at other national meetings.

Scope and Definition: Topics are invited in basic research, clinical investigation, clinical medicine, and public health, as well as research in the fundamental neurosciences. Awards will be chosen based on originality, scientific merit, relevance of the research, and the applicant's overall academic accomplishments.

By submitting an abstract for consideration, the investigator agrees to allow the committee the option to select the entry for presentation as a research paper or poster and agrees to make the presentation him/herself.

Application Process: Applications must include the candidate's curriculum vitae, the research abstract, and three letters of recommendation. Abstracts must be submitted electronically via the AGS website. The curriculum vitae and letters must be sent to the AGS office at, The Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 801, New York, NY 10118, and should attest to the applicant's primary role in the research, the importance and significance of the studies as well as the general research accomplishments of the investigator.

Award: $1500 -- these funds are intended, in part, to cover awardees' travel expenses to attend the AGS Annual Meeting.

The Edward Henderson Student Award is presented to a medical student interested in pursuing a career in geriatrics, who has demonstrated excellence in the field.

Eligibility: To be eligible for nomination, a student must have demonstrated a commitment to the field of geriatrics through leadership in areas pertinent to geriatrics; initiation of new information or programs in geriatrics; or scholarship in geriatrics through original research or reviews.

Nomination Process: The student must be nominated by one faculty member with at least two supporting letters of nomination from other faculty. The application packet must be compiled by the nominator and must include: 1) the nominating letter; 2) two accompanying letters of recommendation; 3) the student's curriculum vitae; 4) a statement (approx. 150 words) from the student nominee describing his/her work and interest in geriatrics; and, 5) supporting materials, such as copies of research papers, abstracts, or reports mentioned in support of the nominee. A syllabus of the program the student has participated in or will participate in may also be included. Only documented work will be reviewed or considered by the selection committee.

Award: $500 travel stipend to attend the AGS Annual Meeting.

A Student Research Award will be presented to the student who submitted the most outstanding student abstract for the 2003 AGS Annual Meeting. The abstract will be chosen based on originality, scientific merit and relevance of the research. The awardee will present his/her research at the AGS Annual Meeting.

Application Process: Applicants must submit an abstract of research or research-in-progress electronically via the AGS website. The student's curriculum vitae and a letter from the student's advisor verifying his/her contribution to the work must be sent to the AGS office.

Award: $500 travel stipend to attend the AGS Annual Meeting.

Purpose: This award was established to recognize the great contributions of practitioners to the delivery of quality health care to older people, and the importance of the geriatrics clinician in our health care delivery system. Through these clinicians' efforts, the application of scientific advances are integrated into the practice of geriatric medicine, resulting in improved well-being and quality of life for older persons.

Eligibility: We welcome the nomination of exemplary geriatrics clinicians whose primary focus is the delivery of patient care in the office, hospital, long-term care facility or community. Nominees may have adjunct, part-time academic appointments, but the majority of their activities must be in the delivery of primary care. Nominees must be AGS members.

The following list suggests some of the qualities or characteristics of the clinicians we wish to honor. Awardees should be dedicated to: 1) maintaining a high level of professional competence through continuing medical education; 2) being available and accessible to patients; 3) communicating clearly and carefully with patients and their families; 4) being aware of the ethical and social issues inherent in the practice of medicine; and, 5) contributing to community health care efforts.

Nomination Process: Nominations should consist of a letter of nomination, at least one additional letter of support from colleagues, and the nominee's curriculum vitae. The nomination letter should specifically address how the individual's accomplishments relate to the purpose of the award.

Many AGS state affiliates present a local "clinician of the year" award to an individual in their state, who is then nominated by the state affiliate for the national award.

Award: $2,000 will be awarded to the recipient.

Purpose: To recognize outstanding achievement in clinical research addressing health care problems of older adults by an investigator who is actively involved in direct patient care. The award takes into consideration independence of thought and originality in research.

Eligibility: Clinicians actively involved in geriatric patient care who have accomplished meritorious clinical research and who are still at a developing, active stage of their research career. The award is not intended to recognize accomplishments in basic or animal research. This award is designed to recognize particularly meritorious early career accomplishment, and is not intended to recognize the most mature and experienced clinical investigators in the field. Applicants are limited to those whose date of graduation from graduate school was on or after June 1987, unless there are specific definable circumstances, which have delayed the applicant's career development (such as a substantial period of inactivity due to family considerations). Individuals who are still in training are not eligible for this award. The candidate should be a resident of the United States or Canada.

Nomination Process: The nomination should consist of a primary letter of nomination outlining the candidate's research contributions and participation in geriatric patient care, the candidate's curriculum vitae, reprints of up to three publications illustrating the most important contributions of the nominee, and one or two supporting letters of recommendation. The nominee should continue to be actively engaged in the line of research for which the award is made. Nominations will be reviewed and the awardee selected by the Research Committee of the American Geriatrics Society.

Announcement: The name of the recipient will be announced in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The recipient will be invited to present a paper describing his/her most important research accomplishments at the AGS Annual Meeting and will be invited to submit a paper summarizing this work for publication in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The paper will be reviewed under the usual editorial policies of the Journal.

Award: Travel expenses to attend the AGS Annual Meeting.