AWARDS PROCESS AND APPLICATION

All nominations must be submitted using the online AAOM Nomination Form completed in its entirety. Nominations may come from self-nomination or from a peer or instructor in the field of regenerative medicine. Nominations must follow the nomination guidelines and must include the supporting materials listed below.

SYNOPSIS OF AVAILABLE AWARDS

For a more complete list of awards and descriptions, click here.

  • Best Poster Award - Selected during AAOM’s annual scientific conference

  • Best Original Research Award - Awarded to an AAOM member who in the past five years has published research relevant to regenerative medicine in a recognized journal or other medical publication

  • Young Investigator Award - Awarded to an AAOM member within seven years of completing training for research or education projects that forward the field of regenerative medicine

  • Excellence in Teaching Award – Awarded on an annual basis to an AAOM member for outstanding teaching or academic work in the field of regenerative medicine

  • Outstanding Service Award - Awarded to an AAOM member who has advanced, on behalf of AAOM, the field of regenerative medicine

  • International Impact Award – Awarded to an AAOM member who has furthered the growth of AAOM and embodied its goals and objectives to an international audience over the previous year

  • Lifetime Achievement Award – This is the highest award for an AAOM member, given for leadership in AAOM and the field of regenerative medicine over a lifetime

TIMELINE TO 2026 AWARDS

December 1, 2025: Launch request for applications

January 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM (Eastern): Deadline for application submission

January 15 through February 15, 2026:: Awards Committee will review applications and determine the award winner.

Late February 2026: Award winners notified.

March 20, 2026: Award winners honored at annual AAOM Scientific Conference awards banquet on Friday evening.

NOMINATION GUIDELINES

  1. All nominees must be AAOM members.

  2. If nominating someone other than yourself, nominator must have permission from the nominee to submit the application.

  3. The nominator is responsible for assuring that all required documentation is collected for the nominee. Incomplete submissions may adversely impact the committee’s ability to adequately and fully evaluate a nominee.

  4. All supporting documentation must have relevance to specific award requirements. The volume of material submitted is not important. Documentation should support what the nominee accomplished and specifically why the nominee is deserving of an award.

  5. Individuals who have previously won a particular award are not eligible to win that award again, even if it has been reformatted. They may, however, be nominated for a different award.

  6. The Awards Committee will review all nominations for determination of award issuance. If none of the nominees for a particular award reflect the level of achievement expected of an award recipient, the committee reserves the right to recommend that the award not be presented.

  7. Members of the Awards Committee are not eligible for awards during their term of service, even if the service for which they would be nominated occurred prior to their term of service or employment.

  8. All nomination materials become the property of AAOM. Materials will not be returned.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS REQUIRED

  1. Nominations must be submitted using the AAOM Awards Nomination Form, which must be completed in its entirety.

  2. Include a narrative summary (200 words or less), written by the nominator, that explains the nominee’s qualifications for the award (please refer to the award descriptions for specific criteria) and why you think the nominee deserves national recognition.

  3. Submit the nominee’s resume or curriculum vitae (required).

  4. Submit other written material, such as articles, project descriptions and the like, only if it supports the specific accomplishments(s) made (e.g. copy page of article or publication.)

  5. Provide two letters of support from others who can elaborate on:

    • The nominee’s specific accomplishment(s)

    • How the nominee has met the specific guidelines for the award

    • Why the nominee is worthy of an award

    • Letters of support must be “signed” by the author and sent by fax, mail, or via email to authenticate and personalize the correspondence, preferably on letterhead.

NOTIFICATION OF AWARD

  • Nominations are due annually by October 15 to the Awards Committee. All award recipients shall be notified of their award in February of each year.

  • Award recipients will be asked to provide a professional, high resolution, head and shoulder portrait for use in promoting award recipient.

    • Color or black & white 

    • 1200x1200 pixels minimum, 512 kilobytes minimum 

    • JPG, PNG or TIFF files only 

  • Awards will be presented at the annual AAOM Annual Scientific Conference.

  • All award recipients are encouraged to be present to receive their award, but it is not mandatory. Recipients of awards may designate an individual to accept the award on their behalf. (Attendance at the conference, registration fees, and associated travel fees are the responsibility of the award winner.)

  • Awardees will be featured in the AAOM newsletter, on the organization’s website, and announced by use of social media.

AWARD APPLICATION