Descriptions & Criteria

  • Distinguished Service Award
    • Designed to recognize individuals who, over the years, have contributed significantly to the success of Military Health System (MHS) research.
      • The contributions can reach back over a series of years or a career.
      • "Contributions" can be interpreted broadly. They can be associated with research/research accomplishments, promoting the visibility of MHS research, etc.
      • Designed to recognize substantial contributions above and beyond normal expectations to advance the growth and professional goals of the MHS research.
      • Demonstration of outstanding leadership in pursuit of excellence for their country and service through research/research support.
    • Eligibility:
      • U.S. Active Duty military, government civilians, academia, industry, international partners.
      • Contractors are not eligible for this award.
  • Outstanding Research Accomplishment (Individual)
    • Designed to recognize outstanding research contributions by an individual research scientist with the focus on significant accomplishment(s) of high impact achieved during the past year (since August 2021). The individual should have demonstrated outstanding leadership in pursuit of excellence for their country and service.
      • This accomplishment must be Warfighter-related and fit into one of the 2022 abstract submission categories.
      • Research must have been supported in part by Department of Defense or Congressional Special Interest funding. Submissions by international partners and supported by their government are also acceptable.
      • The research supporting the accomplishment can reach back five years, but the impact of the research must have been realized within one year of the 2021 meeting dates (since August 2021).
      • Submit the nomination narrative in a paragraph (not bullet) format, not to exceed the stated character limit. The narrative should:
        • Succinctly state the research accomplishment(s) and impact.
        • Provide supporting evidence of the impact/significance of the accomplishment (e.g., publication of the data in a high impact journal, contribution to/adoption as a new clinical practice guideline, etc.)
        • Describe how previous research contributed to the accomplishment.
        • Note the source(s) of funding.
      • Eligibility:
        • Active Duty Military, government civilian, academic or industry partner executing government funded industry research, international partners.
        • Contractors are not eligible for this award.
  • Outstanding Research Accomplishment (Team)
    • Designed to recognize outstanding research contributions by a team of research scientists with focus on significant accomplishment of high impact achieved during the past year (since August 2021).
      • This accomplishment must be Warfighter-related and fit into one of the 2022 abstract submission categories.
      • Research must have been supported in part by Department of Defense or Congressional Special Interest funding. Submissions by international partners and supported by their government are also acceptable.
      • The research supporting the accomplishment can reach back five years, but the impact of the research must have been realized within one year of the 2022 meeting dates (since August 2021).
      • Submit the nomination narrative in a paragraph (not bullet) format, not to exceed the stated character limit. The narrative should:
        • Succinctly state the research accomplishment(s) and impact.
        • Provide supporting evidence of the impact/significance of the accomplishment (e.g., publication of the data in a high impact journal, contribution to/adoption as a new clinical practice guideline, etc.)
        • Describe how previous research contributed to the accomplishment.
        • Note the source(s) of funding.
        • If multiple teams are involved (e.g., from different organizations), note how the work of each contributed to the overall accomplishment.
      • Eligibility: Teams can be intramural (within the government), extramural (government funded academic and/or industry research, collaborations with international partners) or combination of both, with favorable consideration being given to an integrated approach.
        • There is no maximum team number, but the team members should be restricted to the major contributors.
        • Active Duty military, government civilians, government contractors are eligible for listing on the government teams.
        • Contractors are not eligible as team leads for this award.
      • Mandatory Attachment
        • List of team members who have significantly contributed to the accomplishment, their organization and e-mail addresses.
        • Nominations not including a list of team members, their organization, and their email addresses will be eliminated from consideration.
  • Outstanding COVID Pandemic-related Research Accomplishment (Team)
    • Designed to recognize outstanding research contributions by a team of research scientists with focus on significant accomplishment(s) of high impact related to the COVID 19 pandemic.
      • Research must have been supported in part by Department of Defense or Congressional Special Interest funding. Submissions by international partners and supported by their government are also acceptable.
      • The impact of the research must have been realized within one year of the 2022 meeting dates (since August 2021).
      • Submit the nomination narrative in a paragraph (not bullet) format, not to exceed the stated character limit. The narrative should:
        • Succinctly state the research accomplishment(s) and impact.
        • Provide supporting evidence of the impact/significance of the accomplishment (e.g., publication of the data in a high impact journal, completion of clinical trials, FDA clearance/approval, contribution to/adoption as a new clinical practice guideline, etc.)
        • Describe how previous research contributed to the accomplishment.
        • Note the source(s) of funding.
        • If multiple teams were involved (e.g., from different organizations), note how the work of each contributed to the overall accomplishment.
      • Eligibility: Teams can be intramural (within the government), extramural (government funded academic and/or industry research, collaborations with international partners) or combination of both, with favorable consideration being given to an integrated approach.
        • There is no maximum team number, but the team members should be restricted to the major contributors.
        • Active Duty military, government civilians, government contractors are eligible for listing on the government teams.
        • Contractors are not eligible as team leads for this award.
      • Mandatory Attachment
        • List of team members who have significantly contributed to the accomplishment, their organization and e-mail addresses.
        • Nominations not including a list of team members and their emails when the package is received will be eliminated from consideration.
  • Outstanding Program Management (Team)
    • Designed to recognize outstanding medical product Program Management. This award focuses on the accomplishments of a team that is charged with further maturing a medical research and development or a commercial effort. This is done by addressing and minimizing developmental risks, managing cost, schedule and performance, and adhering to all applicable regulatory requirements. The end goal of the effort is the fielding/delivery of a product to the (deployed) Warfighter which fills a military medical capability gap.
      • Research, development and/or acquisition must have been supported in part by Department of Defense or Congressional Special Interest funding. Submissions by international partners and supported by their government are also acceptable.
      • The program management effort can reach back five years, but the impact must have been realized within one year of the 2022 meeting dates (since August 2021).
      • Submit the nomination narrative in a paragraph (not bullet) format, not to exceed the stated character limit. The narrative should:
        • Succinctly state the research accomplishment and its impact.
        • Provide supporting evidence/significance of the accomplishment (e.g., completion of Phase 2 clinical trials, Food and Drug Administration clearance/approval, filling a capability gap, fielding by the military, industry partner commercialization).
        • Describe how previous research contributed to the accomplishment.
        • Note the team composition and their contribution to the accomplishment (Product managers, S&T researchers, regulatory personnel, etc.)
        • Note the source(s) of funding.
    • Eligibility
      • Active Duty military, government civilian, government contractor, academic or industry partner executing government funded industry research, international partners.
      • Contractors are not eligible as team leads for this award.
    • Mandatory Attachments
      •  List of team members who have significantly contributed to the accomplishment, their organization and e-mail addresses.
      • Nominations not including a list of team members, their organization, and their email addresses will be eliminated from consideration.