Erickson Award

                              Announcement

The APHA Gerontological Health Section announces a new award to recognize excellence in research pertaining to positive aging.  The Erickson Foundation, established by Erickson Retirement Communities, has created this award to celebrate research that explores aspects of active, healthy aging, particularly creating healthy communities.  The winner will receive a cash prize ($1,000 in 2009), the opportunity to present a paper at the APHA Annual Meeting, recognition on the GHS and APHA Web sites and newspapers, a plaque and introduction at the GHS Awards Ceremony, and partial offset of conference registration fees to attend the 2009 Annual Meeting in November 2009 in Philadelphia.  Two honorable mentions will each receive a cash prize of $250, as well as the above recognitions. 

The Erickson Foundation Award for Excellence in Research recognizes “high caliber research that significantly advances our understanding of functional (physical), social, psychological, financial and/or civic dimensions of positive aging, on either the individual or community level, and/or enhances the impact of such scientific advances on public policy.”  Abstracts of 250 words should be submitted through the APHA Annual Meeting abstract submission process, Gerontological Health Section, with the “Erickson Award” box checked on the submission form. The submission Web site is:

http://apha.confex.com/apha/137am/gh.htm

or go to www.apha.org and follow the links for Annual Meeting Abstract Submission. The deadline for submission is Feb. 12. One does not need to be a member of APHA to submit an abstract, but must become a member to present. 

Dr. John Parrish, president of the Erickson Foundation, is very enthusiastic about meshing research with practice in the community.  Dr. Parrish commented on the award, “We at the Erickson Foundation are delighted to inspire and celebrate research that shows the state of the art of active, healthy aging at both the individual and community levels.    We are eager to encourage translation of research into everyday practice by the individual or community, and the visibility given to the research award is one way to do this.”

The criteria for selecting the award winners are importance of the topic for positive aging, innovation, research methodology, implications for practice or policy, and broad dissemination of the findings.

For additional information, contact the chairperson of the GHS Erickson Award Committee, Dr. Connie Evashwick, at evashwick@gmail.com.