The IRGNI Mentorship Award recognizes an IRGNI member who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to mentoring investigators and/or students. Honorees exemplify generosity with time, guidance, professional development support, and investment in the growth of others.

The award recipient will be recognized with the presentation of a plaque at the IRGNI Pre-Conference Session, which is held in conjunction with the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting. 

Nomination Timeline:

Nominations open: March 1, 2026

Nomination deadline: April 1, 2026

Selected awardees notified: May 1, 2026

ARM 2026: May 30-June 2, 2026

Eligibility and Nomination Criteria:

To apply, applicants must upload and submit a completed online application form, including in the submission:

  • Nominee must be an IRGNI member
  • A single nomination letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting the nominees' qualifications for the award, which may be co-signed
  • Nominee's CV
  • Short nominee bio (3-4 sentences) and headshot

2025 IRGNI Research Mentorship Award Winner

Heather Tubbs Cooley Headshot
Member

Heather Tubbs Cooley, Ph.D., R.N.

Associate Professor - The Ohio State University

Dr. Heather Tubbs Cooley is faculty at The Ohio State University Colleges of Nursing and Medicine and a Principal Investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Read Bio

Review Criteria

  • Demonstrates excellence in mentoring by providing guidance, support, and professional development to emerging scholars and investigators.
  • Shows sustained and meaningful contributions to mentees’ growth, including development of research skills, scholarly productivity, career advancement, and/or increased confidence and independence.
  • Provides clear examples of mentorship that lead to tangible outcomes such as publications, presentations, funded work, leadership roles, or successful progression into academic or research careers.
  • Uses effective and intentional mentoring practices, including constructive feedback, resource sharing, accountability to goals, and the creation of opportunities for mentee success.
  • Engages in ongoing development as a mentor through reflection, skill-building, and refinement of mentoring approaches over time.

More Information

For awards related questions, please contact Alexandra Ade.