Staff and Investigator Special Recognition Awards

Purpose: These awards are intended to recognize HSR field-based staff and investigators who make significant and longstanding contributions within the last 12-months (1-year) as individuals with key roles on or as specialists on research projects and/or within the research enterprise more broadly.

Two Award Categories:

• Staff Special Recognition Award
• Investigator Special Recognition Award
• The awards comprised of a total of ten (10) awards. That is, five (5) Awards for the Staff Special Recognition Award; and five (5) Awards for the Investigator Special Recognition Awards.

Eligibility: The nominee must be a field-based staff or an investigator whose funding support for the period described for the award came in whole or in part from HSR, QUERI or operationally partnered research. For investigators, nominees are sought who have generally had significant roles other than principal investigator. Individuals who have served as PI on more than 1 VA IIR or QUERI funded project or the equivalent through other federal funding agencies will not be eligible for this award.  

As these awards are for many types of investigators and staff, please spread this notification broadly.

Only one (1) application per VA Medical Center will be accepted for each category (staff and investigator). In addition, Medical Centers may not nominate the same investigator for more than one HSR field award simultaneously.

Specific examples of contributions recognized by these awards may include any the following:

1. Longstanding and significant contributions to VA research as a Co-Investigator or staff member with special methodological or other expertise (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, implementation scientist, health economist, etc.). 
2. Excellence in project management, demonstrating novel approaches and high levels of independence.
3. Excellence in study execution (e.g., quantitative or qualitative data analysis and synthesis, statistical science, data collection).
4. Strengths building and managing teams, especially when they are multi-disciplinary and/or cross multiple institutions and geographically spread out.
5. Excellence in writing or other types of research dissemination that amplify the impact of work conducted.
6. Administrative or service roles that support the success of research, for example, leading Veteran engagement diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; process improvement; workforce development; etc.

Nomination Materials

• A formal nomination letter of one single-spaced page or less from the ACOS-Research stating reasons the nominee should receive the Staff Special Recognition Award or the Investigator Special Recognition Award
• Completed nomination package checklist and nomination form that includes current contact information for the nominee.

Award Package

Recipients of the award are honored with the following:

• A financial supplement of $2,000 delivered to the employee’s local VA Medical Center to be used at the recipient’s discretion for educational materials, research training, professional development, or dissemination activities (e.g., travel to a conference or training).
• Commemorative plaque.

Timeline:

Nominations due in HSR/VACO: COB, December 19, 2023

Peer reviews of nominations: Early – Mid-March 2024

Decisions and notifications: Late March – Mid-April, 2024

Please email completed nomination packages to Eric Enone at Eric.Enone@va.gov  by COB on December 19, 2023.

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