Established in 1980, the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award honors the late Agnes Higgins of the Montreal Diet Dispensary for her innovation and years of service to the cause of improved maternal nutrition. A pioneer in devising methods of nutritional assessment and counseling, Mrs. Higgins greatly advanced the understanding of diet as a crucial factor in healthy pregnancy and prevention of low birthweight. The Agnes Higgins Award is presented in recognition of distinguished achievement in research, education, or clinical services in the field of maternal-fetal nutrition.

Call for Nominations — Deadline March 30, 2011

The March of Dimes seeks nominations for qualified candidates for the 2011 and 2012 Agnes Higgins Awards. Nominations for both years must be postmarked no later than March 30, 2011 to be eligible for review. Winners will receive a $3,000 honorarium and will be honored at a presentation and reception at the APHA Annual Meeting.

Nomination Criteria

Candidates for the Agnes Higgins Award must have:

§  Been widely involved in maternal-fetal nutrition through teaching, research, and/or clinical practice for at least five years;

§  Shown a demonstrable effect in raising the quality of maternal-fetal nutritional care through scholarly pursuits, research, education, and/or practice;

§  Demonstrated ability to apply maternal-fetal nutritional standards of practice and/or facilitate their implementation by others.

Contact Mary Lavan at (914) 997-4609 or mlavan@marchofdimes.com for a nomination form, and submit the completed form to Mary with all required attachments, which include:

§  A written description of the nominee’s achievements in maternal-fetal nutrition (300 word maximum).

§  A list of nominee’s publications relevant to the achievement for which the nomination is made.

§  The nominee’s curriculum vitae.

§  Letters from colleagues in support of the nominee’s qualifications and achievements (maximum of seven).

§  Manuscript samples (maximum of three).

Nominations postmarked after March 30, 2011 or without all required attachments will not be considered.