Outstanding Advocate Award - 2024 Nomination Form


Deadline: April 3, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. PT

The Outstanding Advocate Award was created in 2008 to recognize Academy members who participate in advocacy-related efforts at the state and/or federal levels. Nominees must perform advocacy functions in their capacity as an ophthalmologist.

Qualifications and Criteria

The nominee must be a Fellow or Member in good standing of the American Academy of Ophthalmology who has demonstrated a pattern of advocating for quality patient eye care and the profession at the state and/or federal level(s) over a period of at least several years. Qualifying service might include, but is not limited to:

• Implementing fundraiser(s) for political candidates
• Lobbying for federal/state legislation or regulatory issues introduced or endorsed by the Academy/state ophthalmological society or providing opposition to adverse legislation and/or regulatory issues
• Instrumental in helping to grow his/her state ophthalmology society PAC
• Participation in Academy Congressional Advocacy Day (CAD) visits
• Presenting/arranging for Residents’ Advocacy Program(s) (RAP) at state level
• Instrumental in key Academy advocacy outcome (i.e., getting a bill introduced, meeting/negotiating ophthalmology’s position with key Member(s) of Congress, securing coalition partner(s) for a particular advocacy effort, etc.)
• Instrumental in implementing a State Legislator Advocacy Plan, including a key contact program wherein an ophthalmologist contact representing the state ophthalmology society is provided for each legislator
• Holding key leadership position(s) within the state medical association serving to raise the issues of concern to ophthalmology

The service must have been above and beyond the usual service commitment required by a sponsoring organization or expected by the type of service involved, should have entailed personal sacrifice on the part of the ophthalmologist, and must have been consonant with the principles of the Code of Ethics of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Only one such award may be given to an individual during his or her lifetime.

Completing the Nomination Form

• We suggest using a laptop or desktop computer to complete the nomination form.
• You may save your progress and return to the application at a later date by clicking the Save and Continue Later option at the top right corner of each page. 
• The completed nomination form along with all required supplemental materials must be submitted via this portal by April 3, 2024.

Additional Documents
At the end of the application, you will be asked to provide additional documents to support your nomination.

• Required Two letters of recommendation, with a maximum length of two (2) pages per letter in pdf format
• Required Nominee's one-page biographical sketch highlighting his/her advocacy contributions
• Optional News articles and other supplemental documents highlighting the nominee's advocacy efforts

Questions? Contact Member Services at 415.561.8581 or awards@aao.org. Visit aao.org/awards to learn more about the award.