National Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Awards

The National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology Awards are biennial awards, last presented at the 2022  CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference. The Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology will again be accepting nominations in January 2024. The awards will be presented at the 2024 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference. 

Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology is…

The systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of population-based and program-specific health and related data in order to assess the distribution and determinants of health, status, and needs of the maternal-child population for the purposes of planning, implementing, and assessing effective, science-based strategies and promoting policy development.

Purpose of Awards

To recognize individuals, teams, institutions, and leaders of institutions for making significant contributions to one or more aspects of this definition with the aim of improving the health of women, children and families by

  • Advancing public health knowledge through epidemiology and applied research,
  • Improving public health practice through effective use of data and epidemiology and training in the field, and
  • Enhancing the political will to support practice and advance knowledge through effective use of data, epidemiology, and applied research.

Nomination Process

The Nomination process includes completing all forms, providing a C.V. or resume, and two supporting letters of nomination (nominators may not submit a letter of support for applicants).

Each category of the award has its own separate form which aligns with the award’s criteria. The nomination form is the primary means of evaluating and rating nominees. The C.V. and letters provide supportive justification and explanation for selecting award recipients beyond the nomination form. Brief work samples or other evidence (for example, unpublished or location-specific work) can be provided when beneficial, but no more than 20 pages.

The committee has a strong interest in recognizing the work of women and minorities. Self-nominations are accepted. Nominees must be alive at the time of nomination. A person/organization cannot nominate the same individual for more than one award category, but the Awards Selection Committee reserves the right to select the final award category. The Awards Selection Committee also reserves the right not to give an award in any category if a candidate of sufficient merit is not nominated. Prior award recipients may not receive an award again in the same category but may be nominated for another award category based on new merit. Members of the Awards Selection Committee cannot be nominated for an award. 

SUBMIT A NOMINATION NOW

Questions about nominations should be sent to:

Dr. Elizabeth Conrey, PhD, MS, RD 
Chair, National MCH Epidemiology Awards Committee
Senior Scientist, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program 

Division of Reproductive Health
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
4770 Buford Hwy. NE. MS-K22
Atlanta, GA 30341-3717
Phone: 404-498-2222
mchepi@cdc.gov
econrey@cdc.gov

Past Awardees

The Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology

No one organization represents MCH Epidemiology as a profession from both an academic and practice perspective. MCH Epidemiology, however, is a major contributor and participant in many health organizations and professional groups. To better recognize the field as a whole and to promote excellence in MCH Epidemiology, 16 national health organizations have formed the Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology to sponsor the National MCH Epidemiology Awards.

Award Categories and Descriptions

Scroll down to see descriptions of each category. Learn more about submitting a nomination.

  • Greg Alexander Award for Advancing Knowledge—Advancing public health knowledge through epidemiology and applied research
  • Effective Practice Award—Improving public health practice through effective use of data, epidemiology, and applied research
  • Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring Award—Improving MCH public health practice through excellence in teaching; training in the use of data, epidemiologic methods, and applied research; and mentoring of students, trainees, fellows, and early career professionals
  • Outstanding Leadership Award—Enhancing the political will to advance knowledge and to support public health practice through effective use of data, epidemiology, and applied research
  • Zena Stein and Mervyn Susser Award for Lifetime Achievement
  • Early Career Professional Achievement Award
  • Manuscript that advances the field of applied MCH epidemiology Award (This award category is not being considered for 2024, as we are in the process of revising its criteria for submission)

Greg Alexander Award for Advancing Knowledge—Advancing public health knowledge through epidemiology and applied research

The purpose of this national/international award is to recognize individuals and organizational teams from a variety of disciplines who have made a substantial contribution to advancing the knowledge base aimed at improving the health of women, children and families. Because this is an MCH Epidemiology award, preference is given to those whose focus is applied or those whose focus has contributed to the advancement of applied work in one or more of the following ways: engagement in creating new data systems, development of new methods for measurement or analysis, generation of new information (based on data from a variety of sources whether it be surveillance systems, evaluation data or primary data collection methods), or development of new conceptual frameworks. It is expected that the new knowledge contributed by the awardee has led the MCH field to consider new approaches and or discover new findings related to an MCH problem. Evidence of whether an individual has advanced knowledge is best assessed through publications in the peer-reviewed literature but can also include technical reports, Institute of Medicine type syntheses, books, book chapters, and/or creation of surveillance systems and learning tools that are widely disseminated. The criteria for this award include 1) originality of scientific work, 2) contribution to the field, and 3) impact on the MCH population.

Effective Practice Award—Improving public health practice through effective use of data, epidemiology, and applied research

This awards category recognizes individuals, organizational leaders, organizational units, and institutions who make significant contributions to public health practice in MCH at the community, state, tribal or national levels through the effective use of data and epidemiology. The award can be given to the organization or individuals primarily responsible for the contribution. For organizations, the actual plaque will go to the individual(s) or leader(s) personally or most closely responsible for the work leading to the contribution. In any one year, these awards are given for the specific level of contribution–community, state, tribal and national. The criteria for this award include 1) significance of work, 2) contribution to public health practice, and 3) level of impact on the intended population. This award is not necessarily based on publications but is based on contributions that impact the MCH population.

Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring Award—Improving MCH public health practice through excellence in teaching; training in the use of data, epidemiologic methods, and applied research; and mentoring of students, trainees, fellows, and early career professionals

This award is given to an individual or organization with a strong history of excellence in teaching and training in MCH Epidemiology and/or an outstanding record of mentoring students, trainees, fellows, and early career professionals.  Awardees will have developed and/or implemented training materials, courses, and/or programs within and/or outside academe to increase the capacity of MCH public health to turn data into information and action and/or served as a mentor for multiple students, trainees, fellows, and early career professionals who have emerged as beginning or established leaders in the field of MCH epidemiology, in practice and/or academe. [Note: the committee defines mentoring as a professional relationship in which an experienced person (the mentor) assists another (the mentee) in developing specific skills and knowledge that will enhance the less-experienced person’s professional and personal growth.] The purpose of the award is to recognize an individual/organization who is viewed as a teacher/training leader/mentor not only by their peers and former students and trainees but also by the larger MCH community. The criteria for this award include: 1) an identifiable track record in developing/implementing MCH Epidemiology training and/or training products; and/or 2) a track record of excellence in mentoring in MCH Epidemiology; and, 3) contribution to the field of MCH public health practice

Outstanding Leadership Award—Enhancing the political will to advance knowledge and to support public health practice through effective use of data, epidemiology, and applied research

Improving the health of women, children and families takes more than quality science and public health practice. Political will is needed at all levels to take the needed steps to improve public health knowledge and practice. This awards category is to recognize leaders and organizational teams who serve at a local, state, or national level and who have made significant contributions to the field by creating the political will to improve the health of women, children, and families through epidemiology, applied research, and effective data use. The criteria for this award include 1) demonstrated an increase in political will including the provision of resources, 2) contribution to public health practice, and 3) impact on their MCH population.

Zena Stein and Mervyn Susser Award for Lifetime Achievement

The purpose of this award is to recognize an internationally or nationally known expert or team of experts who have contributed broadly and substantially to the advancement of the field of MCH epidemiology throughout their career, and whose work has a significant and lasting impact. This award is considered to be a capstone award; hence its recipient(s) should be at or near the end of their career. The proposed lifetime achievement in MCH epidemiology award will be given only when deemed appropriate and is not expected to be awarded annually. No more than one lifetime achievement award will be given in any calendar year.

Early Career Professional Achievement Award

This awards category is to recognize an early career, outstanding professional leader in the United States and its territories.  The awardee’s MCH epidemiology work demonstrates significant contribution(s) to the MCH epidemiology field in one or more of the above awards categories, and serves as a model to other early-career professionals. To be eligible, the awardee must be professionally active in the field of MCH epidemiology; has worked in the MCH epidemiology field for no more than 10 years; has exhibited significant contribution to the field at the time of the MCH EPI Conference; and may be a professional in academia, government, and/or the private sector. Career accomplishment, evidence of a strong, positive trajectory of career development, and promise of leadership strength are core criteria that are used for the selection of the awardee. This award equally recognizes all three types of contributions (as described above) and uses the respective awards criteria in the selection process.

Manuscript that Advances the Field of Applied MCH Epidemiology Award – (This award category is not being considered in 2024, as we are in the process of revising its criteria for submission)

The primary purpose of this award is to recognize innovative and impactful contributions to the peer-reviewed literature that advances the field of MCH Epidemiology. To quality, publications had to have been developed from an abstract presented at an MCH EPI conference in the preceding 3 years and be accepted for publication at the time of submission in a peer-reviewed journal. The Manuscript Award committee is comprised of representatives from diverse agencies and institutions. Each submission undergoes a multistage process of scoring and ranking by multiple committee members. Manuscripts are judged by the four following criteria: Innovation, Methodology, Implications, and Overall Quality.