The CHA Academic Council Award was established in 2013 to highlight the value placed on academic excellence and achievement by our institution. The award recognizes members of our community who have made significant contributions to excellence in academic spheres including education, mentorship, research, or scholarship. One or more individuals may be honored in any given year. This award for academic excellence is broadly intended to encompass any number of areas of distinction within domains including:
- Teaching and/or precepting students, trainees, or colleagues
- Design and/or implementation of innovative curricula and/or assessment methodologies
- Design and/or administration of excellent training programs
- Supervision or mentorship
- Research that influences clinical, basic science, healthcare systems, or policy domains
- Scholarly significance (i.e., publications/presentations)
Eligibility, Nomination and Review Process:
Anyone within the Cambridge Health Alliance community may nominate a candidate for the CHA Academic Council Award. This award is intended for mid-career CHA faculty or staff who are employed at least half time; those within 5 years of completing training or in the late phase of their career are not eligible.
Additional criteria which may be considered, and which should be made explicit in the nomination letter:
- Academic impact extends beyond CHA through publication, presentation, academic leadership roles or other means
- Nominees with academic appointments at Harvard Medical School or Tufts University School of Medicine show appropriate and timely engagement in medical school promotion/ advancement processes.
- Academic work aligns with CHA's mission and strategic plan
- While excellent clinical care may be highlighted, the focus of this award is on academic engagement (which may include clinical precepting, role modeling, etc.)
The selection committee is appointed by the Director of Professional and Academic Development. Each honoree will be celebrated at a reception with the CHA community. Recipients'; names will be inscribed on a plaque prominently displayed in the institution.
Previous recipients (listed to the right) may not be nominated.
Suggestions for Crafting a Successful Nomination Letter:
- Carefully read the call for nominations: make sure your nominee meets basic eligibility requirements and that your letter squarely focuses on one or more of the relevant domain(s). Seek input from a range of learners and colleagues who can speak to different facets of the nominee's exceptional academic record and inspirational impact. Include memorable quotes to bring alive each point you wish to emphasize. Multiple signatories are encouraged.
- Tell smaller stories that build into the larger story that you wish to convey about the nominee. Specific, moving stories are more compelling than a list of generic attributes.
- Feel free to reach out to cpd@challiance.org for clarification on nomination criteria or for general suggestions on what makes for a strong letter (of course we cannot comment on specific strategies for specific candidates).
- Please find below successful example letters:
- Example Letter 1
- Example Letter 2