BWIMS Impact Award

In 2026, Baystate Women in Medicine & Science (BWIMS) is pleased to announce that we are seeking nominations for three awards: two BWIMS Impact Awards and the new Advancing Women in Medicine & Science (AWIMS) Award.

BWIMS Impact Award

The BWIMS Impact Award is intended to recognize the outstanding contributions of two clinicians or scientists who identify as women. The award honors physicians, scientists, or advanced practice clinicians (APCs) who have demonstrated excellence in institutional service, health care delivery, education, and/or research. A commitment to advancing gender equity is particularly valued. One impact award is reserved for a junior faculty member (instructor or assistant professor); attention will be paid to these nominees’ achievements relative to their years of service. The other impact award is open to all eligible nominees. The recipients will receive this honor at an event in September 2026 and will also receive a $2500 prize to be applied to their professional endeavors.

Eligibility for BWIMS Impact Award

• Nominees must identify as women.
• Nominees must be physician, APCs, or faculty members at UMass Chan–Baystate or medical staff members at Baystate Health for a minimum of two years. We encourage nomination of eligible women who serve in clinical roles, educational roles, and research roles.
• Nominees must have demonstrated significant influence in one or more areas: institutional service, healthcare delivery, education, and/or research.
• Nominees will be assessed based on impact and scope (local/regional/national) of their contributions, as well as their initiative and role.
• Past nominees who were not selected may be reconsidered with updated letters of nomination. (Prior award winners are not eligible).
• Particular consideration will be given to those who have had impact in gender equity.

AWIMS Award

The AWIMS Award is intended to recognize an organizational leader who has contributed significantly to the advancement of women within the Baystate Health system. The recipient will receive this honor at an event in September 2026 and will also receive a $2,500 prize to be applied to their professional endeavors.

Eligibility for AWIMS Award

• Nominees may be of any gender.
• Nominees must be physicians, APCs, or faculty members at UMass Chan-Baystate or medical staff members at Baystate Health and have worked here for a minimum of two years.
• Nominees must have played a pivotal role in creating and sustaining opportunities, pathways, programs, and/or professional environments supportive of women in medicine and science within our organization.
• Nominees will be assessed based on the impact and scope of their contributions as well as their initiative and role.

General Requirements for Both Awards

• Each nominee must have at least two (but no more than three) distinct letters of nomination to be considered for an award. Letters may be co-authored with no more than two nominators per letter.
• Letters should be no more than 500 words each.
• Letters must include the full name and title of the nominee, the award the nominee is being nominated for, and name, title, email address, and phone number of the nominator(s).
• Nomination letters for the BWIMS Impact Award must comment on specific achievements that support the nomination and provide details about the role the nominee played, initiative taken, and the scope (local/regional/national) and impact of those achievements.
• Nomination letters for the AWIMS Award must comment on specific examples of the sponsorship or support the nominee has provided to impact women’s advancement (e.g., the number of women in leadership roles in the nominee’s sphere of influence, how the nominee has championed gender equity within their department, what pathways the nominee has created to help women thrive, etc.).

Please submit nomination letters to Anne Drummey, Office of Faculty Affairs at UMass Chan-Baystate (Anne.Drummey@baystatehealth.org), by May 8, 2026.