NTCA 2026 Awards

Dear NTCA members and the larger TB community,

We want to honor and celebrate exceptional individuals and their contributions to our work over the last year.  It has been a long and rough year for public health in general, for our TB programs, and for the amazing staff working to protect the public's health and provide exceptional care for those experiencing TB. Now, perhaps more than ever, it is important for us to come together to recognize those among us who have continued their dedicated focus on tuberculosis programs, clinical care, research, advocacy, and partnership strengthening. 

This is the 17th year the National TB Coalition of America (NTCA), formerly the National TB Controllers Association, will honor individuals or organizations for their dedication and distinguished service in the field of TB. Nominations can be submitted by anyone, and nominees do not need to be NTCA members.

If you have thought about nominating someone before, we hope you will move forward with that idea and submit an award nomination.  Please reach out to Donna Wegener (dhwegener@nationaltbcoaltion.org) if you have any questions about the NTCA awards, this nomination process, or the eligibility of the individual you wish to nominate. 

Deadline
The deadline for submitting a nomination form is Friday, March 20, 2026.

Descriptions of the Awards
You can find more information on the awards below.

Nomination Form
The fields to enter information about your nomination are on the second page of this form. This year’s online interface asks for your Description of the Nominee's Background and Merits to be uploaded, and instructions on how to upload your document (Word or PDF preferred) are included in the form below. Please be sure to address ALL elements of the suggested nomination letter. This allows a more complete review and comparison of the nominations.

Click the Save and Continue Later link at the bottom of the second page to save your work on the form.

In partnership,
The NTCA Board, Section Leadership, and Staff

National TB Coalition of America
P.O. Box 260288
Smyrna, GA 31126
678-503-0503
www.tbcontrollers.org

TB Program Manager of the Year – This is the National Tuberculosis Coalition of America’s highest award. It recognizes an outstanding contribution and impact on tuberculosis prevention and control at the local, state, regional, or national level. The award recognizes what tuberculosis controllers are all about!

Carol Pozsik TB Nurse Award – This award honors exemplary care, service, dedication, or leadership in the field of public health tuberculosis nursing.

William Stead TB Clinician Award – This award recognizes outstanding commitment and performance by a clinician providing tuberculosis care, leadership, or mentoring.

Robert Koch TB Researcher Award – This award recognizes an outstanding contribution with a clinical, epidemiological, or academic focus by a tuberculosis researcher or tuberculosis research organization working to eliminate tuberculosis. 

TB Data Stewardship Award (new in 2025) - This award recognizes the outstanding work of a public health epidemiologist, surveillance coordinator, program evaluator, informatician, data manager, or other person working with tuberculosis program data to support and improve public health practice. Nominees working in health departments at all jurisdictional levels are eligible.

Ed Desmond TB Laboratorian Award – This award honors exemplary service, dedication, or leadership by a tuberculosis laboratory professional.

Dixie Snider Award – This award recognizes a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employee who has provided outstanding support, through partnership with a state or local tuberculosis community, in the interest of tuberculosis control and prevention.

Charles DeGraw TB Advocacy Award – This award recognizes an individual or organization for making an outstanding effort or achievement advocating for increased support and recognition of tuberculosis control and prevention efforts.

Joe Ware TB Partner Service Award – This award recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant effort and/or contribution to the mission of tuberculosis control and prevention through partnership activities with public health tuberculosis programs. (The nomination should be submitted by a TB program at the state, big city, local, or territorial level).

Unsung TB Hero Award – This award recognizes those within our tuberculosis programs working on the front lines, regardless of their professional training, who daily dedicate themselves to quality patient care and protecting our public’s health. The individuals eligible for nomination for this award conduct contact investigations, educate the community about tuberculosis, provide directly observed therapy (DOT) services, build relationships of trust and respect with those they serve, and are the heart and soul of many public health tuberculosis programs.