Awards

BMES Awards

Annually, BMES recognizes individuals for their accomplishments, significant contributions and service to the Society and the field of biomedical engineering.  The BMES Awards Committee accepts nominations for the following awards:

Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lecture Award - is awarded each year to an individual to recognize outstanding achievements and leadership in the science and practice of biomedical engineering.

Distinguished Achievement Lecture Award- is awarded each year to a company, charitable foundation, or nonacademic institution that has made great contributions to the field of biomedical engineering.

Diversity Lecture Award - honors an individual, project, organization, or institution for outstanding contributions to improving gender and racial diversity in biomedical engineering.

Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Lecture Award - is offered to stimulate research careers in biomedical engineering.

Distinguished Service Award - is presented periodically to recognize members who have made extraordinary contributions to the Society.

Nomination deadline for the BMES awards is May 31, 2015.

BMES Student/Chapter Awards

BMES offers several awards recognizing outstanding contributions to biomedical engineering by students and student chapters.

 
Students Research and Design Project:  BMES seeks the active participation of both graduate and undergraduate biomedical engineering students in the Annual Meeting and offers encouragement and recognition for their academic achievements. This is the best opportunity for students to have their work noticed, presented, and published as they launch their careers. CLICK HERE for more info
         
2015 Fleetest Feet Award: The Fleetest Feet Award, founded in 1992 by the Arizona State University BMES Student Chapter, promotes student participation in the BMES Annual Meeting.  The award honors the BMES student chapter traveling the most miles to attend. The winning chapter is recognized at the Annual Meeting and receives a plaque.
  
2015 Student Travel Awards (NOW CLOSED): Applicants for the 2015 Student Travel Awards must be a BMES Student member (undergrad or grad) and Chapter member in good standing.  The Chapter must also be in good standing.  Applicants must submit the application along with a one-page essay on "How BMES supports their work in BME". BMES Student Travel Award winners will receive a complimentary registration to the Annual Meeting and a check for a $400 travel stipend. The Student Travel Awards are only available to BMES student members who do not receive any additional BMES funding through additional BMES sources. For information on applying for the 2015 Student Travel Awards, please contact Liz DaSilva.

Please submit the Online application with the essay. Your essay must include your name, academic institution and whether or not you are an undergrad or graduate student. All documentation must be submitted to  liz@bmes.org

The Student Travel Award deadline was 5 p.m. EST on May 31, 2015. Late applications will not be accepted.

BMES Innovation and Career Development Awards

2015 Biomedical Engineering Innovation and Career Development Travel Awards NOW CLOSED
BMES is committed to inclusive excellence in building pathways to biomedical engineering careers and developing a diverse, technically and globally competent biomedical workforce. Focused on this commitment, BMES established the Biomedical Engineering Innovation and Career Development Awards.
 
Those eligible for the Innovation and Career Development Travel Awards are graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, early career faculty, and professionals at critical transition or reentry points in their careers from underrepresented populations in biomedical engineering to include racial and ethnic minorities. Groups identified as being underrepresented in science and engineering include: Women, African Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, American Indians/Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders (Guam, Hawaii and American Samoa). The newly refined awards are also aimed at helping minorities and underrepresented groups in biomedical engineering involved in research and training focused on health disparities and minority health. The Awards are only available to BMES members who do not receive BMES funding through any other BMES sources.
 
A BMES Advisory Committee will review the applications and select the travel award winners based on the applicant’s eligibility, career statement and supporting documentation. In the selection process for these travel awards, preference will be given to individuals from health disparity populations who are also engaged in research that impacts these populations.
 
The travel award winners will receive a complimentary registration to the 2015 Annual Meeting and an $800 travel stipend (upon completion of a W-9 form provided by BMES). The winners will be announced at the Health Disparities Session at the Annual Meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2015, and are strongly encouraged to attend the session.

Please wait to register for the annual meeting after you receive notification about the award. Applicants will be notified by the end of June 2015.
 
Applications (online application form, CV/resume and letter of support) are due by 5pm ET on May 31, 2015. Late applications will not be reviewed.
 
Applicants must submit:
 
1) Online Application [NOW CLOSED] (including CV/Resume and Statement of Career Goals)

• CV/Resume: A CV/Resume is required and may be submitted through the online application or emailed to innovateCareer@bmes.org no later than May 31, 2015 at 5pm ET. Please use 2015 Biomedical Engineering Innovation and Career Development Travel Award in the email subject line.
• Statement of Career Goals: The statement is required as part of the online application. It must be no more than 500 words and could address the following:
  • What attracted you to the field of biomedical engineering, and what have you done to learn more about it?
  • How do you plan to use or how are you currently using your education and training?
  • What do you perceive as the needs and/or challenges in this field?
  • How do you promote the field and provide stewardship for the discipline?

2) Letter of Support (no more than 1 page) on letterhead from mentor, department head, chair, dean or manager confirming graduate, postdoctoral fellow, or early career level status and request for consideration for the award. Letter must be addressed to Michele Ciapa, BMES Education Director, and emailed to innovateCareer@bmes.org no later than May 31, 2015 at 5pm ET. Please use 2015 Biomedical Engineering Innovation and Career Development Travel Award in the email subject line.

If you have questions, please email innovateCareer@bmes.org.

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BMES Awards

The Pritzker Distinguished Lecture Award

The Pritzker Distinguished Lectureship Award is awarded each year to recognize an individual's outstanding achievements and leadership in the science and practice of biomedical engineering. The award recipient is expected to deliver a plenary lecture at the Annual Meeting in the fall and publish the text of the lecture in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. A very important purpose of the lecture is to critically review a field of biomedical engineering and offer a vision of its future.


BMES Pritzker Award Recipients
2015 - Martin Yarmush, MD, PhD - Rutgers University
2014 - James J. Collins, PhD - Boston University
2013 - Ashutosh Chilkoti, PhD - Duke University
2012 - Ajit P. Yoganathan, PhD – Georgia Institute of Technology
2011 - Michael Shuler - Cornell University
2010 - Rebecca Richards-Khortum - Rice University
2009 - Don Ingber - Harvard University
2008 - Buddy Ratner - University of Washington
2007   Antonios Mikos - Rice University

Application Requirements
1. The award is intended to recognize a high level of originality and leadership in an area of biomedical engineering. The award recipient may have achieved excellence in biomedical engineering by contributions within the setting of the university, industry, or government.
2. The awardee's contributions are not required to precede the award date by any specific period of time.
3. The Awards Committee will screen the nominations, critically evaluate the nominee's records, and submit a rank-ordered list of the top three nominees to the BMES President. The President will select the award recipient.
4. Applicants must be a member of BMES in good standing.

This recipient receives a complimentary registration for the Annual Meeting, a plaque, a financial allowance of $2,000 and travel expenses up to $1,250.

Please submit the application form along with a letter describing the nominee's service to biomedical engineering, the nominee's Curriculum Vitae, and letter(s) of support (not to exceed 5 letters) to Jennifer Edwards by May 31, 2015
 

BMES Distinguished Achievement Award

The BMES Distinguished Achievement Award (formerly the BMES/ BME International Award) is awarded each year to an individual, company, charitable foundation, or non-academic institution that has made great contributions to the field of biomedical engineering.  The President, CEO or Founder of the recognized organization is expected to deliver a plenary lecture at the BMES Annual Meeting and to publish the text of the lecture in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.  An important purpose of the lecture is to offer a vision of the challenges and opportunities in biomedical engineering.

BMES Awards Recipients:
2014 - No winner
2013 - Sue Van - Coulter Foundation
2012 - No winner
2011 - Roderic Pettigrew, PhD, MD - National Instutute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
2010 - Nicholas A. Peppas, ScD - University of Texas at Austin
2009 - William A. Hawkins, President & CEO - Medtronic
2008 - Chad A. Mirkin, PhD - International Institute for Nanotechnology
2007 - Alfred E. Mann, BA, MS - MannKind Corporation

Application Requirements
1. The application form, nominee’s curriculum vitae, resume or a short bio, letter (s) of support not to exceed 5 letters.
2. The contributions of the award recipient need not precede the award date by any specific period of time.
3. The Awards Committee will screen the nominations, critically evaluate the nominees’ records, and submit a rank ordered list of the top nominees to the BMES President.  The President will select the award recipient.
4. Applicants need not be members of BMES.

The award recipient will receive a complimentary registration for the annual meeting, a plaque, a $2,000 stipend and travel expenses up to $1,250.

Please submit the nomination materials to Jennifer Edwards by May 31, 2015.

BMES Diversity Award 

The BMES Diversity Award honors an individual, project, organization, or institution for outstanding contributions to improving gender and racial diversity in biomedical engineering. The award is given for a broad range of activities, including research, education, and service improving diversity in the biomedical engineering industry and/or academia. The award seeks to recognize lifetime achievements as well as innovative and/or high impact activities. Awardees alternate every year with individuals being honored in even years and projects/organizations/institutions being honored in odd years.

Applications will only be accepted for projects/organizations/institutions for 2015!

The award recipient or a representative of the project, organization, or institution will deliver a plenary lecture at the BMES Annual Meeting and publish the text of the lecture in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. An important purpose of the lecture is to offer a vision of the challenges and opportunities facing greater diversity in biomedical engineering.

BMES Diversity Awards Recipients:
2014 - Naomi Chesler, PhD
2013 - Cornell University BME Department
2012 - William M. Reichert, PhD
2011 - Cato Laurencin, PhD
2010 - Gilda A. Barabino, PhD
2009 - Sheldon Weinbaum, PhD

Application Requirements [NOW CLOSED]
1. Submit:  a) the nomination form along with an email to Jennifer Edwards containing b) a nomination letter or letters on letterhead (not to exceed 5 letters) and c) the project/organization/institution's summary nomination on letterhead (not to exceed 5 pages) addressing:

• What are the objectives of the nominee’s work?
• Provide examples of how the work conforms to and supports the goal of increasing diversity in biomedical engineering.
• Provide a detailed description of the nominee’s work.
• Describe the community served by the work including background/history and evolution if appropriate.
• What has been the impact of the work?
• What are the nominee's plans to continue the work?

2. The nomination summary (not to exceed 5 pages) and nomination letter(s) (not to exceed 5 letters) must be from a BMES member(s) in good standing.

3. A representative from the project or organization or institution is expected to accept the award in person at the BMES Annual Meeting. 

This award consists of $1,000 check, a plaque, a complimentary registration for the BMES Annual Meeting (for the project/organization/institution's representative), and travel expenses up to $1,000.  Email your submission including nomination form, CV and letter(s) of support (not to exceed 5 letters) to Jennifer Edwards by May 31, 2015.
 

Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award

In honor of former BMES Executive Director Rita Schaffer, the Society established the Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award in 2000. Rita Schaffer's gift of her estate - along with contributions from her family, friends, and associates - enabled BMES to create this award.

The Young Investigator Award is offered each year to stimulate research careers in biomedical engineering. The recipient will present the 20-minute Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Lecture, and publish the text of the lecture in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.  The award recipient must be within 5 years of receiving his/her highest degree.

BMES Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award Recipients:
2014 - Kimberly M. Stroka, PhD - Johns Hopkins University
2013 - Susan N. Thomas, PhD - Georgia Tech
2012 - Christian Metallo, PhD - University of California – San Diego
2011 - Jordan Green, PhD - Johns Hopkins University
2010 - Cynthia Reinhart-King, PhD - Cornell University
2009 - Jonathan T. Butcher, PhD - Cornell University
2008 - Adam Engler, PhD - University of California -  San Diego
2007 - Michael R. Diehl, PhD - Rice University
2006 - Kaven A. Janes, PhD - University of Virginia
2005 - Jan P. Stegemann, PhD - University of Michigan
2004 -  Shayn M. Peirce, PhD - University of Virginia
2003 - Melissa J. Mahoney, - University of Colorado
2002 - Thomas J. Webster, PhD - Brown University
2001 - Melody A. Swartz, PhD - Northwestern University
2000 - David V. Schaffer, PhD - University to California - Berkeley

Application Requirements:
1. Application form, nominee’s CV, confidential letters of support by two recognized authorities in the field (neither of whom may be associated with the institution at which the work was completed nor a co-author on the paper), attesting to the significance of the investigation described in the manuscript.
2. The award is in recognition of high level of originality and ingenuity in a scientific work in biomedical engineering.  The applicant must be within 5 years of receiving his or her highest degree.   (5 years at the time of application deadline)
3. Because selection of the award recipient will largely be based on the review of a single published paper describing original work, if the candidate is not the sole author of the manuscript, she/he must be the first or senior author and the manuscript must be accompanied by a letter from the first or senior co-author attesting to the role of each contributor in design, execution and authoring the manuscript.
4. The applicant must be a BMES Member in good standing.

The award consists of a crystal award, a complimentary registration for the annual meeting, a check for $1,000 and travel expenses up to $1,000. Please fill out the application form and send all supporting documentation to Jennifer Edwards by May 31, 2015.
 

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BMES Student/Chapter Awards

2015 Fleetest Feet Award
The Fleetest Feet Award, founded in 1992 by the Arizona State University BMES Student Chapter, promotes student participation in the BMES Annual Meeting.  The award honors the BMES student chapter traveling the most miles to attend. The winning chapter is recognized at the Annual Meeting and receives a plaque. Click here for a list of previous winners. 

Award Eligibility Requirements:  
1. The award will be presented to the current chartered BMES Student Chapter bringing the most students traveling from the furthest distance.
2. Total mileage is calculated by the number of miles traveled (one way) multiplied by the number of BMES Student Chapter members in attendance from the chapter. (Distance traveled will be determined by GPS).
3. A 10% bonus in mileage will be granted to the chapters driving to the conference instead of flying.
4. All applications must list the student member’s BMES membership number.  Any student listed without a membership number will not be counted towards the total miles.
5. BMES Meeting host/local school’s chapter is exempt from the Fleetest Feet competition.

Application is currently unavailable until after the 2015 Annual Meeting. Therefore, you cannot dowload the application until it is available.    
 
For more information, contact BMES Student Affairs Manager, Liz Da Silva.


Student Design and Research Award
BMES seeks the active participation of graduate and undergraduate biomedical engineering students in the Annual Meeting and offers encouragement and recognition for their academic achievements. This is the best opportunity for students to have their work noticed, presented, and published as they launch their careers.

How to Compete
Students competing for Undergraduate and Graduate Student Awards must submit an abstract at the time of the official abstract-submission deadline for the Annual Meeting, indicate participation in the extended abstract process, and pay the abstract-submission fee.  The extended abstract submission will open at the close of the regular abstract submission process. Students must upload their extended abstract into the abstract-management online program, along with a letter of support from the scientific adviser or department chair certifying the originality of the student effort.

The BMES Awards Committee will select up to 5 graduate students on the basis of scientific m