William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology

Description

A check in the amount of $10,000, plus a travel grant to attend DDW, will be awarded to the recipient.

Objective

To recognize an individual who has made a major contribution (a single accomplishment or series of accomplishments) that has significantly advanced gastroenterological basic or clinical research.

Eligibility and Standards

AGA membership is not required to be considered for this award. The recipient must have made a unique, outstanding contribution of major importance for the field of gastroenterology, which will lead or has led to important new insights or advances in understanding, diagnosing, or treating digestive disease; or provides significant new knowledge of basic cellular and genetic structures or functions relevant to digestive function or disease. Please note that nominees need not be gastroenterologists; consideration will be given to scientists and medical professionals from all fields, however, the nominee’s contributions must have significantly impacted the understanding and/or practice of gastroenterology.

Solicitation of Nominations

Nominations are solicited by the AGA Chair via a "Call for Nominations" letter in July to the following constituencies:  AGA Governing Board, council section chairs, committee chairs, task force chairs and membership-at-large; deans of U.S. medical schools and academic-based chiefs of medicine; GI division chiefs and training directors of major academic institutions; editors of major medical journals and presidents of international GI societies.

Nomination packages should contain letters of nomination identifying and documenting the individual’s achievements in clinical or basic digestive disease or other related research and the significance thereof to the advancement of gastroenterology, along with background information about the nominee (curriculum vitae or resume). Selection Committee members are encouraged to submit nominations. Nominations are not carried over.

Process of Selection

The recipient is selected by the following, which serve as permanent selection committee members: AGA Chair (serves as committee chair), chair of the AGA Institute Research Policy Committee, and an at-large senior representative from the National Institutes of Health. A senior basic science investigator, a senior clinical researcher, and a non-US citizen researcher, each selected by the Research Policy Committee, will also serve as at-large selection committee members.

Nominees suggested by the selection committee members and those nominated by the AGA membership and scientific community-at-large are compiled and distributed for review. Each selection committee member independently rank orders the submissions. The final rankings are then distributed and the selection committee confers via teleconference to select the recipient. The recipient recommendation is presented to the AGA Governing Board for ratification in February. The chair of the selection committee also prepares a concise statement detailing why the recipient was selected. This statement is used in publicizing the award. 

Award Recognition

An engraved commemorative plaque is presented by the AGA Chair during Digestive Disease Week (DDW). In addition, the recipient is invited to deliver a presentation at the Plenary Session on the development and significance of his/her work. If there are multiple recipients, the recipients must select only one individual to give the presentation.

Nomination Submission Process

The nomination deadline is midnight Nov. 11. The nomination package must contain the following:  curriculum vitae or resume, letter(s) of nomination (maximum 2 pages, per letter) identifying and documenting the individual’s achievements in clinical or basic digestive disease or other related research and the significance thereof to the advancement of gastroenterology. All required documents must be combined into one PDF file and emailed to awards@gastro.org. The nomination file must be titled by the nominee’s last name and first initial. Hard copies will not be accepted. Please forward all questions about this and other AGA Recognition Prizes to 301-222-4012 or via e-mail at awards@gastro.org.  

Past Recipients

  • 1976 R.A. Gregory; Viktor Mutt
  • 1979 Bengt Borgstrom; Alan F. Hofmann
  • 1982 Morton I. Grossman; Sir James W. Black
  • 1985 George Sachs
  • 1985 John G. Forte
  • 1988 Saul Krugman; Mario Rizzetto; Jesse Summers
  • 1991 Thomas E. Starzl
  • 1994 Daniel W. Bradley; Michael Houghton; Qui-Lim Choo; George C. Kuo
  • 1997 Bert Vogelstein
  • 2000 Martin C. Carey; Donald M. Small
  • 2006 Barry J. Marshall, MD
  • 2009 Warren Strober, MD