Eligibility Requirements

A nominee must have:

• Been engaged in providing clinical services for at least five years under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.
• Been licensed or regulated if required by the jurisdiction where the individual is working.
• Experience working in more than one practice or educational setting.

Criteria for Selection

Outstanding achievements in delivery of patient and client care, service to their community, and a commitment to the physical therapy profession and the association have been demonstrated by:

• Contributions to the former affiliate or national assemblies, PTA Advisory Panel, the Representative Body of the National Assembly, PTA Caucus, and the American Physical Therapy Association, at the national, component, and/or district levels.
• Service to the community through activities that enhance quality of life and function.
• Representation and promotion of the role of the physical therapist assistant through education, practice, and/or research as a part of the PT-PTA team.
• Promotion of ethical standards and professional conduct among peers, students, and patients and clients.
• Pursuit of career development through continuing education (courses, workshops, in-services, etc).
• Service as a role model and inspiration to patients and clients, peers, and students to perform at, or strive to achieve, their optimal potential.

A strong application should demonstrate the following:

• Specific examples of the selection criteria listed above.
• Letters of support that are positive, cite specific examples of professional accomplishments, and provide additional information on depth, scope, and quality in a convincing manner.

What Recipients Receive

An award will be presented to the recipient by APTA's Board of Directors at an APTA national event, and an official announcement will appear in an association publication.

Submission Requirements

During the online process, the following documents will be required for upload:

• Current curriculum vitae or resume of the nominee.
• A letter of nomination that specifically focuses on the strengths of the nominee in relation to the award criteria, not to exceed three pages. Letters of nomination cannot serve as one of the required letters of support.
• Two letters of support obtained from individuals who can specifically address one or more of the criteria for selection, not to exceed two pages each. (Note: If more than two letters of support are received, only the first two will be considered. The nominator will be asked to remove additional letters.)

Submit a Nomination

The nominations call for the Honors & Awards Program is open from Sept. 1- Dec. 1. Nominations must be submitted through our online portal by Dec. 1. Late submissions will not be considered. Selected recipients and their nominators will be notified in May.

Additional Resources

For questions regarding the nomination process or the award, please contact honorsandawards@apta.org.