ADEC Awards Program

Criteria for Death Education Award

1. Expertise in the field as demonstrated by: advanced academic degrees, professional honors, awards, reputation in one’s discipline.
2. Excellence in teaching as demonstrated by: judgment of peers, department chair, dean and /or academic department, development of teaching materials, new courses, and student evaluations.
3. Scholarly ability as demonstrated by: publication record and/or membership on editorial boards of scholarly journals in the field of dying, death and bereavement.
4. Continuing growth as demonstrated by: keeping abreast of changes in the field and/or being at the cutting edge of developing ideas in the field.

Criteria for Clinical Practice Award

1. Excellence in clinical practice as demonstrated by: honors, awards, reputation in one’s area of specialization, judgment by peers, supervisors and /or administrators, clients.
2. Contributions to the field as demonstrated by: innovations in practice, dissemination of knowledge based on personal experience and /or research, leadership in organization focusing on clinical practice as it relates to dying, death, and bereavement.
3. Continuing growth as demonstrated by: keeping abreast of changes in the field and/or being at the cutting edge of developing ideas in clinical practice.

Criteria for the Research Recognition Award

1. Conducting research that adds/contributes significantly to the body of knowledge in studies concerning death and loss.
2. Demonstrating an ongoing consistent record of research and publication in the area of death education and/or grief counseling.
3. Research has been subject to peer review (accepted for publication in a refereed journal, reviewed by a grant funding agency, or accepted for presentation at a conference sponsored by a professional association in which proposals for presentation have been reviewed prior to acceptance.)
4. Findings have been cited by other researchers or authors.
5. Findings have served as a foundation upon which prominent theories or practices have been constructed.

Criteria for ADEC Service Award

1. Excellence in service to the Association as demonstrated by: consistent committee participation and other high-quality efforts to benefit the growth and development of the Association.
2. Contributions to the activities of the Association as demonstrated by: innovating Association programs, conducting workshops, assisting with conferences, serving the Association.

Special Contributions Award

This award is not conferred every year; rather, it is an occasional award reserved for those who have made significant contributions to the field of death, dying, grief and loss over a substantial period of time, such as 20 years. Contributions may include but are not limited to: theory development, service, research, publications, etc. Achievement in the field must go beyond the usual scope of accomplishment. Contributions should be widely recognized in the field. The only award a deceased person could be nominated for is the Contribution to the Field. It is the responsibility of the ADEC member nominating the individual to contact the appropriate family member, friend, or colleague who will provide pertinent information and, if chosen, accept the award.

Note:  (1) Current board members are not eligible to receive awards while serving on the board.

(2) Individuals who have received an award within the past three years are not eligible to receive another award during this time period. 

Updated: July 25, 2008