2026 Award Recipient 

Research with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU), University of Washington

Overview

AcademyHealth believes that meaningful engagement with a broad range of perspectives leads to a richer and more nuanced understanding of health and the health system's performance, improves engagement and morale, and helps advance organizational efforts to improve health and health care for all. The Mosaic Award recognizes organized groups within health services and policy research (HSR) that share this commitment and have created a more welcoming experience and sense of community for employees and/or members with a diversity of backgrounds and experience.

This recognition will be awarded to an organization or group. Nominated groups can include organizations, as well as defined departments, centers, clinical or research units; working groups of employees, faculty, staff, and students involved in a project, program, or cross-system coalition; and collective efforts that have taken demonstrable steps through initiatives, programs, or policies. Individuals are not eligible for this award.

AcademyHealth will widely promote the awarded group as part of our dedicated efforts to promote a more vibrant research workforce that embraces the broad diversity of the field and helps drive impact in HSR. The winner will be announced at the 2026 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting; one team representative will receive complimentary registration and lodging for one night to attend the conference and accept the award and the opportunity to write a blog post.

Nomination Timeline

Nominations open: January 12, 2026
Nomination deadline: February 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Selected awardees notified: Week of March 30, 2026
ARM 2026: May 30-June 2, 2026

Eligibility Criteria

  • Any member (individual or organizational) of AcademyHealth may nominate a group for this award. The nominator must be an individual and/or organizational member of AcademyHealth.
  • The nominated organization must either be an AcademyHealth organizational member or have at least one individual within the nominated group be an AcademyHealth individual member.
  • The organization or group’s initiatives, programs, or policies must have been operating for at least two years and have a sustainability plan.

Nominations

Nominations must be submitted by an individual directly involved, impacted by, or a user of the group’s efforts, programs, and policies. Nominations representing institutions, individuals, and teams from historically excluded groups are encouraged.

A two-page nomination letter should include:

  • A description of the nominated group’s efforts to engage in activities to recruit, retain, and train individuals who support and broaden the group’s diversity, including, but not limited to, disciplinary, educational, experiential, and other perspectives;
    • Questions to consider:
      • What are your plans for the future of your initiatives?
      • How do you envision your strategic plan evolving in the coming years?
  • The nominated group’s commitment to a more welcoming experience and sense of community by recognizing and addressing barriers to full participation and engagement;
  • The steps taken by the nominated group to develop and lead a supportive experience that fosters belonging through collective action to promote culture change within and beyond the group;
  • Examples of mentorship, training, active service, community engagement, etc., conducted by the nominated group.
  • The impact of the nominated group’s initiatives, programs, or policies and how that impact is being measured. 

Please note self-nominations will not be accepted.  

Review Criteria

The two-page nomination letter will be reviewed on the following four criteria:

  • Organizations, teams, or projects that promote and illustrate the impact of their efforts on their policies, practices, resources, tools, and results.
  • Commitment to recognize and address barriers to a more welcoming environment.
  • Commitment to create and support a welcoming culture through mentorship, training, active service, and community engagement.
  • Contributions and/or implementation of creative and/or innovative initiatives, programs, and/or policies that have positively affected other groups.

More Information