Research Award FAQ

How does the awards entry system work?

Our paperless awards entry system allows you to draft, edit, submit and monitor the status of your entries. You can log into the system and edit your entries as many times as necessary. Just be sure to click submit before the deadline. After the deadline the awards entry system will be closed to new submissions.

What will I need for the awards entry system?

• contact information for the entrant and all co-authors
• basic citation information (i.e., when and where the article was published)
• names of any organizations providing financial support for the research
• brief summary of relevance
• the article (.pdf format required)

Who is the submitter?

The submitter is the person completing the form via the online entry system. Typically the submitter is also the entrant. Occasionally the submitter is a research or administrative assistant who has been asked to submit the work on the entrant’s behalf.

How is the submitter information used?

After the submission is received, NIHCM will interact with this individual if there are any questions about the submission (such as incomplete information or illegible .pdf documents).

Who is the entrant?

You must choose a single entrant who is typically the lead author but may also be a co-author. The entrant must be authorized to enter the work on behalf of all authors.

How is the entrant information used?

The entrant on a finalist paper may be asked to verify the citation of the entry for our finalist list and to provide short biographical summaries for all co-authors. The entrant on the winning entry will determine how the prize money is distributed.

What are the best practices for uploading documents?

Online Entry Form Requirements:

• Only standard-sized (8.5" x 11") .pdf documents are accepted. Newspaper- and centerfold-sized .pdf documents will not be accepted.
• Do not secure or password protect the .pdf in any way.
• The .pdf extension must use lower case letters.
• Use only letters to define the name of the document. Our system will not accept special characters such as & ' % #.
• We recommend using Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat to create the .pdf. Using a program such as Quark, Photoshop or InDesign may cause compatibility issues.

General Guidelines for Upload Files

• Use a unique file name for each .pdf uploaded.
• Use short but specific file names.
• It is not necessary to provide the full article title or entrant name in the .pdf file name. Instead, try to identify the piece specifically, e.g., by journal abbreviaton and date of publication or by topic keywords.
• Name your .pdf before uploading as it cannot be changed after uploading.

How many entries may an entrant submit?

For the Research Award, we will accept no more than two (2) entries per entrant.

What happens after an entry is submitted?

After you submit an entry, the entry status on your Submission Dashboard will change from "Draft" to "Submitted." An email confirming the submission will also be sent to the submitter's email address. If you do not receive this confirmation, check your spam folder and contact NIHCM as needed.

You will be able to edit your submitted application until the deadline.

The judges select finalists by mid-March, and all entrants will be notified of the finalist decision shortly thereafter. The winning paper will be selected by our judges in April and announced in a press release.

Is there an entry fee?

No, there is no fee to enter the awards competition.