Bernard Lo, MD Award in Bioethics 2025 Request for Nominations

Introduction

The Greenwall Foundation invites nominations for the 2025 Bernard Lo, MD Award in Bioethics (Lo Award), a $25,000 prize that is given annually to recognize significant contributions to bioethics. This Award honors Dr. Lo’s service to The Greenwall Foundation as its President & CEO (2012-2020) and founding Director of the Faculty Scholars Program.

The Lo Award recognizes one area of accomplishment in bioethics each year. The 2025 Award will be presented for excellence in bioethics mentorship and will be given to a recipient who stands out as a bioethics mentor that goes above and beyond to support and guide rising bioethics professionals in academic, clinical, policy, law, research, public health, or other bioethics-related careers. We recognize that mentorship looks different across disciplines and career paths, and welcome nominations of individuals who have provided stellar mentorship in less traditional, non-academic settings – including settings in which mentorship is not generally prioritized. The Foundation supports a broad and inclusive bioethics, and therefore encourages nominees from academic, non-profit, government, industry, and other sectors.

Nominations are due by Monday, March 24, 2025 by 11:59pm ET.

Award Criteria

The Lo Award Committee will consider nominees’:

  • Exceptional commitment to and track record in bioethics mentorship, as demonstrated by mentees’ experiences and the nominee’s impact on mentees’ professional development    
    • Mentees’ experiences may portray, for example, the nominee’s approach to mentoring, interactions with mentees, and impact on and support of mentees’ careers and other aspects of their lives    
    • Mentees’ professional development can be described in numerous ways, including through traditional measures of academic success (e.g., high-impact publications, promotions) as well as comparable measures appropriate to other sectors (e.g., leadership positions, awards). Mentees’ professional development may also be described in other, less-quantifiable ways (e.g., success in mentoring others, success in navigating difficult decisions/situations)    
  • Active engagement and communication with mentees, including attention to mentees’ whole person (i.e., mentees’ lives beyond the professional sphere) and the establishment of enduring mentoring relationships    
  • Demonstrated support for a broad and inclusive group of mentees    

Nominations

Nominations may be submitted by mentees, colleagues, or others who can speak to the excellence of the nominee’s mentorship in bioethics. Renominations are welcome. Self-nominations will not be accepted. 

Nominations should include the following materials:

  • Letter of nomination, no longer than three single-spaced pages, that specifically addresses the award criteria listed above and provides concrete illustrative examples. Among other things, the letter should address:
    • What is the nominee’s approach to mentorship?
    • What characteristics make the nominee a good mentor?
    • How is the nominee’s mentorship exceptional, that is, above and beyond mentorship undertaken by others in similar positions?

    This letter may be cowritten by more than one individual and may include input or information from the nominee.


  • Three letters of support from individual mentees, no longer than two single-spaced pages each, including at least one from a current mentee. Letters should relay personal experiences and provide concrete illustrative examples. Among other things, each letter should answer:
    • How did the nominee support your professional development and success?
    • What impact has the nominee had on you and your career?
    • How, specifically, is the nominee’s mentorship exceptional, that is, above and beyond mentorship undertaken by others in similar positions?

    These letters may not be cowritten by more than one individual and may not be composite letters (i.e., compiling statements from more than one individual).


  • One letter of support from a peer or senior colleague, no longer than three single-spaced pages, that specifically addresses the award criteria listed above and provides concrete illustrative examples. Among other things, this letter should answer:
    • What is the nominee’s approach to mentorship?
    • What characteristics make the nominee a good mentor?
    • How is the nominee’s mentorship exceptional, that is, above and beyond mentorship undertaken by others in similar positions?
  • List of at least five and no more than 20 of the nominee’s mentees, including a brief description of the nature of their mentoring relationship (no more than three sentences per mentee); this list should be completed on this form and help to demonstrate the breadth and diversity of the nominee’s service as a mentor.
  • Nominee’s current CV, no more than five single-spaced pages

The Lo Award Committee may reach out to letter-writers with follow-up questions. The Lo Award recipient will be announced later this year.

Submission of Nominations

Nomination packets should be submitted via the Foundation’s online system by Monday, March 24, 2025 by 11:59pm ET.

Go to https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=greenwall. Once there, please bookmark the site, create an account, and complete your nomination. You will be asked to upload a single PDF document that includes all of the required items listed above. If online submission presents a hardship, please contact Kyle Ruempler at [email protected] in advance of the nomination deadline.

Selection

The recipient of the Lo Award will be chosen on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis without regard to age, gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or ethnic background.  No person responsible for selecting the recipient will be in a position to derive a private benefit, directly or indirectly, if a certain potential recipient is selected over others.  Foundation Board members, officers, Committee members (including Faculty Scholars Program Committee members), and employees and their relatives are ineligible for the Award.

If you have any questions about the award criteria or nomination requirements, please email Kyle Ruempler at [email protected]