The Behavioral and Social Sciences Mid-Career Innovation Award acknowledges outstanding and innovative contributions of an established mid-career member of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Section. Contributions may include achievements across a wide range of scholarship, including research, practice, teaching, and program development and administration.
While numerous awards recognize strong starts of promising new scholars and the lifetime achievements of long-term scholars, the mid-career award recognizes and promotes the work of scholars who have established themselves and continue pursuing the promise and potential of their scholarly trajectory. Candidates are associate professors, or equivalent, who have maintained or shifted their scholarly focus and are pursuing the next stage of their gerontological career. They may have experienced personal or professional career interruptions and have re-established their scholarly trajectory.
Candidates are engaged in innovative and impactful gerontological research, teaching, practice, and/or policy work. Innovation can be demonstrated by bringing new insight to original research, applying evidence to practice, implementation, or translation science, or improving gerontology curricula, student learning, and teaching methodologies. Additionally, innovation may have been achieved through development of programs and centers that support gerontological scholarship.
Candidates are engaged in creative scholarship with significant potential or demonstrated impact.
Submission Period: Submission Period: Spring 2025
Eligibility Criteria:
- Nominee must have been an active, regular GSA member for at least 5 years prior and be a current member of GSA BSS.
- Nominee must have completed a PhD or other terminal degree at least 10 years prior to application/nomination.
- Candidates for GSA (section or society-wide) early career awards are ineligible for the Mid-Career Innovation Award.
- Candidates for GSA (section or society-wide) Distinguished Career Contribution and equivalent lifetime career awards are ineligible for the Mid-Career Innovation Award.
- Candidates are currently active in their field and have demonstrated impact with their scholarly trajectory while continuing to build upon prior scholarship to develop their ideas and reach.
- Nominee must have contributed scholarship in an innovative and influential area of the gerontological field of research, instruction and mentoring, program development and administration, or policy within the past five years.
- Associate Professors or equivalent.
Required Nomination Packet Materials:
A single nomination letter signed by at least three (3) supporters that should include the following:
- Evidence of ways the nominee meets the eligibility criteria above.
- A current Curriculum Vitae.
Nature of the Award
The recipient receives a certificate and is recognized at the Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Recognition and Networking Event at the Annual Scientific Meeting.