2025 Paul Brand Award

NOMINATION INFORMATION

Description
Established in recognition of Dr. Paul Brand’s significant contributions to excellence in hand surgery, hand rehabilitation, and humanitarianism, this award recognizes individuals who have exemplified humanitarianism in their work as a certified hand therapist in addition to providing clinical and professional excellence in several facets of practice.

Examples of such qualifications for practice acceptable for receipt of the Paul Brand Award may include: demonstration of excellence in patient care and/or research; demonstrated service to ASHT; advanced educational development to enhance others less able to receive optimum mentoring; and/or support to the promotion of the hand and upper extremity therapy specialty, any one of which must be above and beyond the usual work of the potential nominee.

The candidate for this award is one who strives for the advancement of hand and upper extremity therapy, which may include underserved areas nationally and/or internationally. For the purpose of this award, a humanitarian is described as one who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare within the realm of hand therapy.

Eligibility
Nominees for the Paul Brand Award must be Certified Hand Therapists who are Active members of ASHT in good standing for a minimum of five years. The nominator must be an ASHT member in good standing for at least one year prior to the nomination. Individuals not selected may be re-nominated in subsequent years.

Members of the ASHT Board of Directors and the Awards Committee are ineligible for nomination.

Process

The Awards Committee accepts nominees from the membership and selects the winner through a structured process, presenting a non-monetary honor (plaque or equivalent award) at the ASHT Annual Meeting.

Frequency

Nominees for the Paul Brand Award will be considered each year. Up to three nominees may be selected to receive this award each year.

Requirements

  • Completed online nomination form. Nominator must write to each of the five criteria listed on the form providing rationale and supportive data from the nominee’s CV as to how the nominee meets the criteria. Data from the CV may not be repeated in different categories. The Awards Committee will not accept such statements as “refer to CV” or “see resume.”
  • Letter of nomination from an ASHT member in good standing for at least one year establishing why the nominee meets the criteria of the award. The writer should speak to each of the 5 criteria in a maximum of 250 words.
  • Nominee’s current curriculum vitae or resume of experience

This completed application must be submitted no later than August 20, 2025.

Eligibility

Is the nominator a current member of ASHT in good standing for at least 1 year?
Is the nominee a Certified Hand Therapist?
Is the nominee a current ASHT member in good standing?
Has the nominee been a member in good standing of ASHT for at least 5 years?

Nominee must demonstrate evidence of experience in all five criteria outlined below to be considered.

Expected Criteria:

  1. The nominee must have demonstrated  humanitarian endeavors for the promotionof human welfare through work in hand therapy either through local, national, or international contributions above and beyond the scope of normal employment. This may include pro bono work, civic engagement, social justice and/or inclusion that adds to enhancing the psychosocial, cultural, and diverse elements to meet human welfare needs.
  2. Demonstrates clinical excellence and leadership by serving as a mentor/role model for peers, adds to hand therapy as a profession, and well represents ASHT.
    1. May include, but not limited to publications, presentations, research, educational and clinical venues
  3. Demonstrates active participation in educational programs and/or research committees or projects related to hand therapy.
  4. Consistently demonstrates commitment to high standards, professionalism and competence in clinical practice, and care and compassion toward the individual needs of each patient/client above and beyond normal employment responsibilities.
  5. Represents and/or demonstrates advocacy for underserved populations in need of hand therapy services in the public arena beyond the scope of one’s work requirements.
Letter of nomination must be from an ASHT member in good standing for at least one year establishing why the nominee meets the criteria of the award. The writer should speak to each of the five criteria in a maximum of 250 words.
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Criteria I. Demonstrated humanitarian endeavors for the promotion of human welfare through work in hand therapy either through local, national, or international contributions above and beyond the scope of normal employment. This may include pro bono work, civic engagement, social justice and/or inclusion that adds to enhancing the psychosocial, cultural, and diverse elements to meet human welfare needs.

Please summarize the nominee’s humanitarian endeavors. Provide a reference, description, year, web links, and any other relevant information as evidence for each occurrence. This information may be copied and pasted from the nominee’s CV. (Do NOT indicate “see attached CV” as the information provided in the nomination form is what will be the basis for evaluating the candidate’s qualification for selection.) Data may not be repeated in different categories.

Criteria II. Demonstrates clinical excellence and leadership by serving as a mentor/role model for peers, adds to hand therapy as a profession, and well represents ASHT. May include, but not limited to publications, presentations, research, educational and clinical venues.

Please summarize the nominee’s humanitarian endeavors. Provide a reference, description, year, web links, and any other relevant information as evidence for each occurrence. This information may be copied and pasted from the nominee’s CV. (Do NOT indicate “see attached CV” as the information provided in the nomination form is what will be the basis for evaluating the candidate’s qualification for selection.) Data may not be repeated in different categories.

Criteria III. Demonstrates active participation in educational programs and/or research committees or projects related to hand therapy.

Please summarize the nominee’s humanitarian endeavors. Provide a reference, description, year, web links, and any other relevant information as evidence for each occurrence. This information may be copied and pasted from the nominee’s CV. (Do NOT indicate “see attached CV” as the information provided in the nomination form is what will be the basis for evaluating the candidate’s qualification for selection.) Data may not be repeated in different categories.

Criteria IV. Consistently demonstrates commitment to high standards, professionalism and competence in clinical practice, and care and compassion toward the individual needs of each patient/client above and beyond normal employment responsibilities.

Please summarize the nominee’s humanitarian endeavors. Provide a reference, description, year, web links, and any other relevant information as evidence for each occurrence. This information may be copied and pasted from the nominee’s CV. (Do NOT indicate “see attached CV” as the information provided in the nomination form is what will be the basis for evaluating the candidate’s qualification for selection.) Data may not be repeated in different categories.

Criteria V. Represents and/or demonstrates advocacy for underserved populations in need of hand therapy services in the public arena beyond the scope of one’s work requirements.

Please summarize the nominee’s humanitarian endeavors. Provide a reference, description, year, web links, and any other relevant information as evidence for each occurrence. This information may be copied and pasted from the nominee’s CV. (Do NOT indicate “see attached CV” as the information provided in the nomination form is what will be the basis for evaluating the candidate’s qualification for selection.) Data may not be repeated in different categories.