About AED

Honors & Awards

The Meehan/Hartley Leadership Award for Public Service &/or Advocacy

This award honors an individual who, over a sustained period of time  ( i.e., 5 years or more) has significantly advanced the field of eating disorders through her/his impact on public policy, government advocacy or service to the community.  It is the highest award conferred by the Academy.

Leadership Award for Clinical, Administrative or Educational Service

This award honors contributions made by the awardee to the clinical care of those individuals suffering with an eating disorder, other than those whom the awardee has treated directly.  Such an individual would have to have demonstrated sustained leadership either through administrative (i.e., innovative new service delivery), educational, or clinical contributions to the field that positively impacted the treatment and well-being of individuals with eating disorders within the awardee’s own nation or internationally.

Leadership Award in Research 

This award honors an individual who has, over a substantial period of time (i.e., 10 years or more), used research to develop new knowledge about eating disorders that is internationally respected. The knowledge has to have had a measurable impact on the field, either by significantly furthering our understanding of the etiology of eating disorders, by changing treatment or prevention, or by fostering new lines of research.

Lifetime Achievement Award

In addition, the Board may decide periodically to recognize a senior individual in the field for her/his lifetime contributions to the Academy or to the field in general.  It is not expected that this award will be given annually, but only under exceptional circumstances.

LEADERSHIP AWARD IN MENTORSHIP

This award honors an individual who has, over a substantial period (i.e., 10 years or more), made signification contributions to the field through the mentorship of students, trainees, and colleagues. The mentorship must have had a significant impact on the field and the careers of those mentored (e.g., increasing access to the field for under-represented groups and diversifying the representation of professionals in the eating disorder field; supporting mentees to engage in transformational research or clinical services).

Special Awards

The Board may decide to recognize other individuals, organizations, and/or corporations for their significant contribution to the AED or the eating disorders field at large. Special awards can be given as a one-time award (e.g. in recognition of a notable contribution such as Editorship of IJED) or can be given multiple times (e.g. a Special Award for Industry). The name of the award will be determined by the Board, based on the contributions being honored.