The Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation today announced that online nominations are now being accepted for the 2017 Sherman Prize, the first prize of its kind created to honor outstanding individuals who go above and beyond to make exceptional and pioneering contributions in the fight to overcome Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The Sherman Prize recognizes and rewards healthcare providers, medical researchers, public health advocates, and educators who are advancing patient care, medical research, public service, and professional/public education on behalf of the more than three million Americans living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).

Two Sherman Prizes of $100,000 each are awarded annually to individuals with extraordinary records of achievement addressing the challenges of Crohn’s and colitis, and a $25,000 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize is awarded to an individual who demonstrates high potential. Nominees are evaluated by the Sherman Prize Selection Committee, comprised of six of the nation’s preeminent IBD researchers, clinicians, and advocates who represent diverse areas of expertise.

“Identifying, honoring, and supporting the innovators who have devoted their careers to helping those who suffer from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is critically important,” said Dr. David Rubin, Sherman Prize Selection Committee chair and chief of the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at The University of Chicago Medicine. “Doing so elevates their work and inspires others to excel, which is why the Sherman Prize is so meaningful and such a tremendous service to the IBD community.”

Recipients of the inaugural 2016 Sherman Prizes are already applying their funding to advance their innovative research and care models. These groundbreaking healthcare providers from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, and New York University were chosen for their many achievements, including building a national IBD research exchange platform; advancing research in the interaction of diet, gut bacteria, and IBD; developing innovative psychosocial care models for complex IBD patients; and providing superior care to underserved communities. Learn more about their work at www.shermanprize.org.

“Last year, Cynthia and I had the honor of launching the Sherman Prize and recognizing three inspiring practitioners whose work is transforming the care of people with IBD,” said Bruce Sherman. “This year, we look forward to recognizing the next change agents in the fight to overcome Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. By continuing to reward exceptional work through the Sherman Prize, we hope to create a ripple effect that inspires excellence as successes spread from community to community.”

Nomination process and eligibility

Nominations for the Sherman Prize will be accepted at www.shermanprize.org through April 30, 2017. Candidates can be nominated by colleagues, peers, advocates, educators—anyone who can attest to the candidate’s qualifications. Self-nominations are not accepted.

To be eligible, nominees must live and work in the United States and demonstrate achievement in the last decade, with preference given to those who have made significant contributions to the field in the last two years. Nominees who are not selected can be nominated again in coming years, assuming the individual still meets the eligibility requirements.

All nominees are evaluated by the Sherman Prize Selection Committee: David T. Rubin, MD, Prize Committee chair, The University of Chicago Medicine; Elisabeth R. Evans, MSN, FNP-BC, UC San Diego Health System; Sunanda V. Kane, MD, MSPH, Mayo Clinic Rochester; Dermot McGovern, MD, PhD, FRCP (Lon), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Mark B. Pochapin, MD, NYU Langone Medical Center; and Corey A. Siegel, MD, MS, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

The Committee’s extensive review of the candidates focuses on identifying the bodies of work that have made the most significant, enduring, and inspiring impact on improving the health and well-being of people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. After completing their formal review of the Prize candidates, the Committee presents their recommendations to the Sherman Prize Board of Directors, who make the final decision. The recipients of the Sherman Prize will be announced in the summer.

The story behind the prize

For Bruce and Cynthia Sherman, IBD hits close to home.  Both of Bruce’s daughters, as well as his father, were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. It was this emotional, decades-long, life-changing journey that led Bruce and his wife, Cynthia, to envision the Sherman Prize.  They recognized that more needed to be done in terms of medical research, patient care, and public service for those who live with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—diseases that have no cure. Bruce and Cynthia’s vision is that the Sherman Prize will inspire tomorrow’s innovations by recognizing today’s achievements.  The Prize will encourage, recognize, and provide funding to outstanding individuals who consider the whole patient—not just the severity of the symptoms, but the psychological effects and quality-of-life challenges the diseases present to patients, as well as to families and caregivers. The Prize is funded solely by the Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation.  

To learn more, or to nominate an individual doing exceptional work on behalf of people with IBD, please visit www.shermanprize.org.