GMS Outstanding Student Achievement Awards

Apply Below

Application deadline: All applications are due by March 5, 2024 at 5 pm. Please follow the instructions below to submit the application materials (nominee’s application and letter[s] of recommendation):

  1. Please insert your personal statement and upload your resume here: Outstanding Student Achievement Award Student Submission
  2. Once you have submitted the materials from Step 1 above, please send the following link to those will be filling out your letter(s) of recommendation: https://bostonu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cHhnsikruNv1i8S

NOTE: Students are responsible for all materials to be submitted by the deadline. No late applications will be accepted [this includes the letter(s) of recommendation so nominees should be sure to ask with enough advance notice].  The letter(s) must be submitted by the recommender i.e. not by the nominee.

Award Information

What are these awards?

There will be a total of four awards – two per degree level (Master’s and PhD; the latter category includes MD/PhD) and two per award category (see below). Awardees will receive a one-time award of $500, provided directly to the awardee from GMS funds. Recipients will be highlighted in the commencement brochures.

Award categories:

  1. Outstanding Research Achievement; this award will recognize achievement during students’ time in GMS (including but not limited to scientific impact, breakthroughs, student’s intellectual contribution/creativity/initiative, overcoming major research obstacles, etc.)
  1. Community Service; this award will recognize service during students’ time in GMS (defined in the broadest sense, including but not limited to initiative and leadership in tutoring/teaching, service to the student body, community service and outreach e.g. contributing to the well-being of underserved/minoritized populations, volunteering, etc.). Note that this award can recognize work done in fulfillment of graduate school requirements or efforts unrelated to school.

Who is eligible?

Students who have made outstanding contributions that set them apart from their peers during their time in GMS are encouraged to apply. The eligible students for this year’s awards are as follows:

For PhD students, the eligible cohort includes students who have or will graduate during the current academic year, i.e. August 2023, January 2024, or May 2024 graduation dates.

For MD/PhD students, the eligible cohort includes students who will defend their dissertations and begin MED3 during the spring 2024 semester.

For Master’s students, the eligible cohort includes students who have or will graduate in January 2024, May 2024, or August 2024 graduation dates.

How do students apply?

Students are expected to self-nominate with a personal statement of 250 words or less specifying which award category they are applying for and detailing their achievements. In addition, students must submit a resume and arrange for a letter(s) of recommendation.

Program directors, faculty, staff and students from all GMS programs are urged to reach out to potential applicants to encourage them to apply.

For the research category, the direct research mentor/supervisor/advisor supplies a letter of recommendation detailing what makes this student and their contributions stand out.

For the community service category, a letter of recommendation should come from someone who worked closely with the student in their service role. If that mentor/supervisor is not affiliated with BU/BMC, students will also need to arrange for a brief supplementary letter from their program director or academic advisor to confirm that the student was involved in the activities under consideration for the award and that those activities occurred during their time matriculating in GMS.