Governance

The four major awards given by the AAPM will be the William D. Coolidge Gold Medal, Marvin M.D. Williams Professional Achievement Award, the Edith H. Quimby Lifetime Achievement Award, and the John S. Laughlin Early-Career Scientist Award.

This award recognizes an AAPM member for an eminent career in medical physics. It is the highest award given by the AAPM. No more than one award will be given in any year and the award does not have to be awarded every year.  Nominations will not be considered posthumously.

• Significant scientific achievement in medical physics, and
• Significant influence on the professional development of the careers of other medical physicists, and
• Leadership in national and/or international organizations, and
• Active participation in the AAPM as shown by service as an AAPM committee chair, member of the board of directors, AAPM officer or similar activities, and
• Recipient must be a Fellow of the AAPM

This award recognizes an AAPM member for an eminent career in medical physics with an emphasis on clinical medical physics. No more than two awards will be given in any year and the award does not have to be awarded every year.  Nominations will not be considered posthumously.

• Significant influence on the development of the profession of medical physics through professional matters, education of medical physicists or clinical practice development, and
• Leadership in national and/or international organizations, and
• Active participation in the AAPM or ACMP as shown by service as a committee chair, member of the board of directors, officer or similar activities, and
• Recipient must be a Fellow of the AAPM or ACMP

This award recognizes AAPM members whose careers have been notable based on their outstanding achievements. No more than two awards will be given in any year and the award does not have to be awarded every year.  Nominations will not be considered posthumously.

• Significant scientific achievement in medical physics, or significant influence on the professional development of the careers of other medical physicists, and
• Leadership in national and/or international organizations, and
• Active participation in the AAPM, and
• Recipients must be a Fellow of the AAPM

This award recognizes outstanding scientific achievement in medical physics for an early-career scientist member of the AAPM. The award will usually be given to a member who has been engaged in a medical physics career for fewer than 10 years on December 31 of the year of nomination, and who has been an AAPM member (student, resident, junior or full) for at least 5 years. No more than one award will be given in any year and the award does not have to be awarded every year.  Nominations will not be considered posthumously.

• Significant scientific achievement in medical physics

The Awards and Honors Committee will administer the selection process for these awards, as well as for Fellowship, and nominate candidates for these awards to the AAPM Board of Directors. The decisions of the Awards and Honors Committee will be transmitted to the board through the Administrative Council and the Secretary.

For the purposes of this policy, the Major Awards listed above, together with Fellowship and Honorary Membership, are considered “Association Awards”. The AAPM also offers awards for outstanding manuscripts published in the Association’s journals, referred to here as “Journal Awards”, and for outstanding presentations or accomplishments at the Association’s meetings, referred to here as “Meeting Awards”.

The editors of the Association’s journals select one or several manuscripts published during the previous year for recognition. The editor’s nominations are forwarded to the Awards & Honors Committee for review and approval. The Awards & Honors Committee then forwards the nominations to the Board of Directors for approval.

The Awards & Honors Committee is given the authority to determine certain awards based on the quality of presentations at meetings of the Association, or to designate a subcommittee to determine these awards, and the winners of the awards. For these awards, the decision of the Awards & Honors Committee is final, and the awards will be presented during the appropriate meeting of the Association.

The Awards & Honors Committee will assist the President of the Association by soliciting nominations of candidates for awards given by other organizations. The A&H Committee will prepare and distribute appropriate announcements, receive recommendations from the AAPM membership, select nominees to be recommended to EXCOM, and develop nomination letters and forms as required by the awarding organization. The A&H Committee will forward the nominations materials to EXCOM for transmittal to the awarding organization.