ASH Mentor Award
Mentorship is one of the most important determinants of a successful career in hematology, yet it is often a component of career development that, while prized by recipients, is rarely rewarded. In recognition of the value the Society places on mentorship, the ASH Mentor Award was created to reward outstanding mentors in the hematology community. Superb mentors from any of the different branches of hematology are eligible for this award, including adult or pediatric hematologists; academic or community practitioners; basic, clinical, or translational researchers; hematopathologists; transfusion medicine specialists; and individuals working in industry or government.
Each year two outstanding mentors are selected. It is anticipated that awardees will have had a sustained career commitment to mentoring, a significant positive impact on their mentees' careers, and through their mentees have advanced research and/or patient care in the field of hematology.
Key Dates
| Nomination Deadline for the Mentor Awards | July 15, 2024 |
| Award Notification for Recipients | March 2025 |
| Presentation of Awards for Recipients | December 2025 |
Award Criteria
The ASH Mentor Award is based on the training experiences and success of the nominee’s mentees, not the mentor’s personal career achievements. For the purpose of this award, mentoring is defined as the process of guiding, supporting, and promoting the training and career development of others. The key roles of a mentor include, but are not limited to, providing:
- Intellectual growth and development
- Career development
- Professional guidance
- Advocacy
- Positive role modeling
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
- Both nominees and nominators must be members of ASH. Not an ASH member? Apply today.
- Nominees of all nationalities and all countries of residence are eligible; however, all application materials must be submitted in English.
- Nominees may include adult or pediatric hematologists; academic or community practitioners; basic, clinical, or translational researchers; hematopathologists; transfusion medicine specialists; and individuals working in industry or government.
- Nominees should have a sustained record of mentoring over time.
- Nominators must be mentees of the nominee or colleagues who have personal knowledge of the nominee’s mentoring efforts.
- Mentees should be actively involved in research, teaching, mentoring, clinical care, or other leadership activities.
- The nominator, primary mentee, and secondary mentee must be three separate individuals.
Exclusion
- Prior recipients of the ASH Mentor Award are ineligible for future awards.
- Voting members of the ASH Executive Committee, ASH Awards Committee, and ASH Mentor Award Study Section are ineligible for a Mentor Award during their tenure.
- Self-nominations and posthumous nominations will not be accepted.
Submit a Nomination
Nominations for the ASH Mentor Award are accepted throughout the year and may be made by any ASH member, based on either having been mentored by the nominee or by having personally observed the mentoring provided to others by the nominee. It is suggested that nominees participate in the process of assembling the nomination package, since their mentoring achievements may have spanned many years, beyond the experience of individual mentees.
The following documents are required in order to submit a nomination package:
- A completed nomination form;
- A copy of the nominee's current CV or Biosketch (preferred) ;
- Three letters of recommendation (please refer to the Mentor Award Nominations Guidance document for recommendations on writing an effective nomination letter):
- A letter, written by the nominator, summarizing the impact of the nominee on the training/careers of his/her mentees.
- Two letters written by a primary and a secondary mentee (can be former or current mentees) who can each provide a first-hand account of how the nominee influenced his/her career. Academic, clinical, and educational achievements on the part of the mentee will be considered important. These mentees must be willing to complete a structured telephone interview about the nominee's mentoring capacity.
- The nominator and two mentees must be three different people.
- For the Mentor Awards, reviewers look for a balance of letters from colleagues and mentees spanning the nominee’s career in mentorship.
- Optional: Up to three additional letters of support from junior and senior faculty will be accepted but are not required. Ideally, at least one letter should be written by a mentee who can provide a first-hand account of how the nominee influenced his/her career. Academic, clinical, educational, and regulatory achievements on the part of the mentee will be considered important.
Nominations that are not formatted correctly, contain incorrect documents, or are missing required documents will not be considered.
Provided are some examples of questions that should be answered within the nomination packet to provide the level of detail the study section expects in reviewing submissions for the Mentor Award. Please note that this list is not complete and simply includes examples for you to use in preparing your nomination:
- Most of the nominations received are for outstanding candidates. Therefore, please provide details on what distinguishes your mentor from the others.
- Are there specific examples where the mentor remained involved in your professional development, or that of other mentees, on an on-going basis, after your career was started? Was there a difference in support for those that stayed at the mentor’s institution compared with those that went elsewhere?
- How does your mentor handle stress, disappointment, or setbacks involving his/her mentees? Describe the environment/atmosphere your mentor provides.
- How has your mentor intervened to help you make specific decisions regarding the path of your career? How helpful is your mentor in negotiating job offers, both at the home institution as well as others?
- How does your mentor balance things in their own lives from your perspective and how does he/she promote this balance for their mentees?
If you are having trouble completing your nomination package, please email [email protected] to request assistance. An Awards Department staff member will be happy to walk you through the process.
Evaluation, Selection, and Notification
The Mentor Award Study Section includes, but is not limited to, one chair and one member from each of the following committees:
- ASH Awards Committee
- ASH International Members Committee
- ASH Committee on Practice
- ASH Committee on Promoting Diversity
- ASH Committee on Training
- ASH Trainee Council
Nominations are scored based on the overall strength of the nomination package and the following award criteria: 1) intellectual growth and development, 2) career development, 3) professional guidance, 4) advocacy, and 5) positive role modeling. Each of these is scored individually; therefore, the nomination package and letters of recommendation should provide sufficient detail and specific examples that speak to each of these elements.
Final selections are based on a consensus of the entire study section and are sent to the ASH Awards Committee and the ASH Executive Committee for final approval.
A nomination is used for three nomination cycles.
Award Recipients
Questions?
Questions about the ASH Mentor Award may be directed to [email protected].