Awards presented by ACAPT are intended to be:

• Unique
• Supplemental to those presented by APTA and the Academy of Physical Therapy Education
• National recognition to the unique contributions of the recipients

Charge:  The charge of the committee is to honor members of the academic and clinical physical therapy profession who exemplify the characteristics of excellence.  The committee’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Establish the ACAPT Awards:

1. Conduct an environmental scan of all current awards & recognition in physical therapy education.
2. Identify to the ACAPT Board areas or categories where awards & recognition in academic physical therapy do not currently exist, which may include: entry-level, post-professional clinical and academic leadership and higher-level academic leadership.
3. Identify comparable organizations with similar awards and recognition to guide and inform the most comprehensive process.
4. Recommend prospective naming considerations for the awards, which may include the recognition of current or past ACAPT leaders.
5. Identify the criteria needed for each award by working collaboratively with ACAPT’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consortium to ensure that criteria reflect these characteristics.
6. Develop procedures for nominating persons, the submission and review process, including the rubric for scoring applicants, and the recognition process.
7. Recommend processes for responding to applicants not selected for awards.
8. Identify the type of award for honorees that would be deemed most cherished and coveted (e.g., a plaque; name listing; cash award; etc.).
9. Develop a timeline for when nominations are due, when they are reviewed, when applicants are notified, and when/how members are notified of honorees.
10. Make a recommendation to the ACAPT Board of Directors for when and how the awards should be presented to the awardees.

General Responsibilities: 

1. Maintain awareness of all awards presented in academic physical therapy
2. Receive and review materials submitted for awards.
3. Determine eligibility of candidates for awards each year.
4. Recommend to the ACAPT Board of Directors the most qualified nominees to receive the award.
5. Work with ACAPT’s Marketing Specialist to:
   * Publish criteria for awards and recognition, and the procedures for applying and/or nominating individuals by the timelines determined by the committee.
   * Announce awards recipients.
   * Promote the awards and other ACAPT awards that may already exist.
6. Recommend any new awards that may be considered to the Board of Directors.
7. Make recommendations to the Board of Directors for appointment of Committee members as needed.
8. Prepare and submit committee reports and recommendations to the Board of Directors
9. Conduct an annual assessment of the awards policies and procedures and make recommendations to the Board for any adjustments.
10. Develop and propose a budget by date requested by ACAPT’s Treasurer to accomplish goals and objectives.

Committee Chair: Jamie Dehan, PT, DPT, MS, PhD at University of Saint Mary

Term: The terms of service are for three years with the opportunity to serve two consecutive terms without board approval. In the initial formation of the committee, the chair and one-half of the committee will serve a three-year term and the remaining appointed members will serve a two-year term. This will help to facilitate staggered terms so that historical knowledge will not be lost between appointments.

Elected/Appointed:  All committee members are appointed.  Appointee must be an “Individual Member” of an ACAPT member institution, as defined in the ACAPT bylaws.