Outstanding Mentor Award

The Midwest D-CFAR Outstanding Mentor Award honors individuals who demonstrate exemplary scientific and career mentorship to early-career HIV investigators at WashU, SLU, and HSSU.

Anyone familiar with the nominee's mentorship is welcome to nominate — mentees, colleagues, or collaborators. If you were mentored by the nominee, feel free to answer from your own experience. The strongest nominations include specific examples of how the nominee has supported an investigator's research, career development, and sense of belonging in the HIV research community.

Nominations take about five minutes to complete.

Instructions and tips for nominating your research mentor are below.

Award Criteria

While the following criteria are not exhaustive in demonstrating excellence in mentorship, the selection committee typically considers the mentor's ability to advance an early-career HIV investigator's development, including whether they:

• Meet regularly and make themselves available for support and supervision

• Provide guidance on research projects and manuscripts, including skill and knowledge development to advance the project

• Support the investigator in connecting to broader research communities

• Support the investigator's success in applications for future opportunities, including professional organizations and fellowships

• Demonstrate interest in the investigator's research and career goals

• Foster the investigator's sense of belonging and contribute to a culture of inclusion within the HIV research community at WashU, SLU, or HSSU

Nomination Process

Nominations are welcome from anyone familiar with the nominee's mentorship — mentees, colleagues, or collaborators. Nominators must complete the nomination form, which includes outlining the qualities that make the nominee deserving of the award. If you were mentored by the nominee, you're welcome to answer from your own experience.

Strong nominations answer questions such as:

1. How has the nominee supported the research or career development of the investigator(s) they mentor?

2. How has the nominee shaped their mentees' research and professional pathways — including opportunities to share their work, networking, and similar experiences?

3. How has the nominee fostered a sense of belonging and contributed to a culture of inclusion within HIV research at WashU, SLU, or HSSU?