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Faculty Awards

Connect with CMS

Chicago Medical School Awards

CMS Excellence in Clinical Education Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, department leadership, or clinical administrators.

Nominee Eligibility: All faculty members at Chicago Medical School involved in clinical education. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Demonstrates empathy and respect for students; creates an inclusive culture that encourages the expression of ideas; acts as an exemplary role model exhibiting the highest professional standards; and stimulates student intellectual achievement through superior communication skills and interpersonal rapport.

CMS Excellence in Educational Innovation Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, educational program directors, or school administrators.

Nominee Eligibility: All faculty members at Chicago Medical School or Chicago Medical School Affiliates. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Demonstrates outstanding innovation in teaching and learning approaches, with a defined focus on significant accomplishments in curriculum and instructional development (including the creation of new/revised courses, electronic teaching tools, or impactful medical education research).

CMS Excellence in Graduate Medical Education Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, residency/fellowship program directors, department leadership, or clinical administrators.

Nominee Eligibility: All faculty members involved in graduate medical education (GME) at Chicago Medical School or Chicago Medical School Affiliates. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually; a faculty member may only receive this award one time.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Demonstrates an outstanding dedication to the professional growth, well-being, and clinical success of residents and fellows; fosters a highly supportive and collaborative learning environment that promotes clinical excellence and continuous quality improvement; and exemplifies the highest institutional standards of graduate medical education through expert mentorship, administrative leadership, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

CMS Distinguished Faculty Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, department chairs, or institutional leadership.

Nominee Eligibility: All Chicago Medical School faculty members. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually; a faculty member may only receive this award one time.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Considered the highest honor bestowed upon CMS faculty. Recognizes an individual who brings sustained honor and prestige to CMS through their profound commitment to the institution and a long-standing contribution to teaching, service, research, and/or patient care.

CMS Honor Medallion

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, administrators, or institutional leadership.

Nominee Eligibility: Chicago Medical School faculty members, staff members, students, or alumni. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually; an individual may only receive this award one time.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Bestowed for highly novel and/or extraordinary accomplishments that bring honor and prestige to the School and/or University, specifically through the delivery of innovative healthcare methods, advanced healthcare education, or exceptional leadership.

CMS Outstanding Faculty Community Service Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, community partners, or clinical administrators.

Nominee Eligibility: All faculty members at Chicago Medical School or Chicago Medical School Affiliates. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Actively and consistently serves underserved populations at CMS, its surrounding communities, and its clinical affiliates, while serving as an exemplary community-minded role model for students, staff, and fellow faculty members.

CMS Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty mentees, peers, or department chairs.

Nominee Eligibility: All faculty members at Chicago Medical School or Chicago Medical School Affiliates. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually; a faculty member may only receive this award one time.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Demonstrates an outstanding commitment to mentoring other faculty members at CMS and its affiliates, actively promoting professional development, modeling collaborative leadership, and cultivating a supportive, positive working environment.

CMS Junior Faculty Investigator Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, research mentors, or department chairs.

Nominee Eligibility: Junior faculty members at Chicago Medical School or Chicago Medical School Affiliates within five (5) years of completing their training (e.g., residency, fellowship, post-doctoral training). 

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Recognizes substantial, documented early-career research contributions that actively promote and cultivate a vibrant, collaborative, and interprofessional scientific community.

CMS Lattimer Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, department chairs, or institutional leadership.

Nominee Eligibility: Senior faculty members at Chicago Medical School or Chicago

Medical School Affiliates. Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to receive this award solely for contributions made outside of their administrative roles.

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually; a faculty member may only receive this award one time.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: Honoring the legacy of distinguished pediatrician Dr. Agnes Lattimer (Class of 1954), this award recognizes a senior faculty member who exhibits a long-standing, exemplary record of outstanding performance in clinical teaching, biomedical research, patient care, or public health advocacy.

CMS Excellence in Interprofessional Team Care at an Affiliate Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, Hospital administrators, including Hospital Department Chairs, Nursing Directors, or Chief Medical Officers. 

Nominee Eligibility: This refers to clinical teams that teach CMS trainees and have worked together for at least 12 months. The team must include members from at least two different health professions, all of whom are employed by or appointed at the medical school or an affiliated hospital. Individual team members who are Dean’s Cabinet Members are eligible to participate and be recognized solely for clinical or educational contributions made outside of their administrative roles. 

Award Frequency: Need not be given annually (recognizes up to two teams per cycle).

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators (the Medical School Awards Committee). 

Selection Criteria: Evaluated strictly on the "4 Cs": 

Collaboration: Evidence of meaningful cross-disciplinary collaboration and shared decision-making. 

Clinical Impact: Measurable improvement in patient safety, clinical quality, or health equity outcomes. 

Culture: Active cultivation of an inclusive environment and psychological safety where all roles are clearly defined and valued.

Commitment to Education: Active commitment to medical education by modeling elite teamwork for students, residents, and other clinical learners.

CMS Clinical Preceptor Award

Nominator Eligibility: Students, faculty peers, department chairs, or institutional leadership.

Nominee Eligibility: Private, community-based clinical preceptors who are appointed as faculty members at Chicago Medical School or Chicago Medical School Affiliates.

Award Frequency: Up to three awards may be given annually (one for each educational phase). A faculty member may receive this award multiple times across different phases or years, provided they continue to meet the selection criteria.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: These awards recognize outstanding private preceptors who demonstrate a high level of institutional engagement with the administration, a deep involvement with CMS, and an exceptional record of positive medical student feedback. To celebrate educational excellence across the entire continuum of the medical school curriculum, one award will be conferred for each of the following components:

-Phase I Preceptor Award: Recognizes a preceptor who excels in guiding students through the integration of scientific and clinical foundations, supporting them across system blocks organized around diagnostic structures and patient presentations, or contributing to foundational interprofessional, professional development, and pre-clerkship preparation courses.

-Phase II Preceptor Award: Recognizes a preceptor who demonstrates outstanding clinical teaching, mentorship, and engagement during the core clinical training period, building upon Phase I knowledge and skills across the seven core clerkships or early elective career exploration experiences.

-Phase III Preceptor Award: Recognizes a preceptor who provides exemplary residency preparation and advanced clinical oversight, guiding students through intensive four-week sub-internships, intramural and extramural electives, or the critical milestone transition from M4 student to first-year resident.

CMS Affiliate Site Award

Nominator Eligibility: Faculty peers, clerkship directors, department chairs, clinical coordinators, or institutional leadership.

Nominee Eligibility: Clinical affiliate sites of Chicago Medical School.

Award Frequency: Given annually to two distinct affiliate sites: one Emerging Affiliate Award and one Established Affiliate Award. An affiliate site may not receive the same category award in consecutive years.

Conferring Body: Awards Council comprised of faculty leaders and administrators.

Selection Criteria: These awards recognize outstanding clinical affiliate sites that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to medical education and the growth of Chicago Medical School students. Selection is based on the site's active engagement with CMS administration, robust faculty involvement, dedication to the institutional educational mission, and consistently positive student feedback.

 -Emerging Affiliate Award: Recognizes a newer clinical affiliate site that has rapidly integrated into the CMS network and demonstrated an immediate, exceptional impact on student clinical education.

 -Established Affiliate Award: Recognizes a long-standing clinical affiliate site that has maintained a legacy of excellence, continuity, and deep-rooted dedication to training CMS students.

Rosalind Franklin University Awards

Morris L. Parker Research Award

Established by Morris L. Parker, M.D., this award is presented for meritorious research in medicine or related health sciences by an investigator at the rank of Associate Professor or higher, or who has already been awarded the BOT Research Award.

Board of Trustees Research Award

Presented to a junior faculty member for excellence in research.

Lawrence Medoff Award

For outstanding performance in clinical sciences in the area of research, teaching, and/or clinical care.

Rosalind Franklin Award-Excellence in Teaching

Established in 2005 and presented to a faculty member to recognize their expertise in fostering student learning.

Rosalind Franklin Award-Excellence in Service

Established in 2005 and presented to a faculty member who has made outstanding service contributions to the University.

Timothy R. Hansen Mentoring Award

Established in 2017, this award is presented for outstanding contribution in advising, guiding, and coaching University faculty.

External Awards