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Conference

The 5th Annual Global Health Conference

Heritage Hotel & Conference Center, 522 Heritage Rd, Southbury, CT 06488, USA

September 27 - October 1, 2026

2026 Global Health Conference

Award and Scholarship Information

Each year, the Global Health community recognizes individuals who exemplify leadership, creativity, compassion, and meaningful engagement across our global health community. The awards listed below highlight outstanding contributions from both professional and student participants.

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Please note that nomination forms will become available at a later date. Please check this page for more information as it becomes available.

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John M. Murphy, MD Leadership Award

Click here to view eligibility requirements
This award honors a member of the Global Health Program community who demonstrates strong, initiative-driven leadership that advances global health education, clinical care, partnership development, or systems improvement. Recipients show innovation, long-term impact, and a commitment to responsible and sustainable global health practice.​

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Sister Jane Frances Award

Click here to view eligibility requirements
This award recognizes a medical student who has completed a Global Health Elective and has taken meaningful action in response to challenges observed in underserved communities. The student is honored for cultural humility, compassionate leadership, creativity, and the ability to develop and implement thoughtful solutions that create a positive and lasting impact.

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Linde Excellence in Mentoring Award

Eligibility requirements coming soon

This award recognizes a community physician or a faculty member who has excelled at mentoring global health scholars in achieving their career objectives through moral, social, and intellectual support.

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The award honors mentors who actively contribute to the program’s bidirectional approach to global health education,fostering mutual learning and exchange between domestic and international partners. Through mentorship that values shared expertise, reciprocal growth, and collaborative learning, award recipients strengthen global health partnerships while supporting scholars across diverse cultural and institutional contexts.

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Majid Sadigh, MD Annual Scholarship Award

Click here to view eligibility requirements

This scholarship recognizes female faculty who have shown exceptional dedication to advancing health equity, social justice, and the well-being of underserved and marginalized communities. It celebrates leaders whose achievements reflect a long-standing commitment to the core values of global health. Applications are welcomed from female faculty at our global health partner sites who have demonstrated meaningful impact through service, education, research, or advocacy.

John M. Murphy, MD Leadership Award


The John M. Murphy, MD Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding member of the global health community who demonstrates innovative, initiative-driven leadership that meaningfully advances global health education, partnerships, clinical care, or systems development.


The global health community encompasses both domestic members of the Nuvance Health and Northwell Health networks and colleagues from our international partner sites, reflecting the collaborative, bidirectional nature of our work. This award honors individuals whose leadership extends beyond their formal role, creating lasting impact within the Global Health Program and contributing to broader institutional and international collaborations.
 

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Eligibility Criteria​

Applicants or nominees must:​

  • Be members of the Global Health Program community, including those based within Nuvance Health and Northwell Health as well as colleagues from the program’s international partner sites*, who actively collaborate with and contribute to our shared global health mission.​

  • Be actively involved in global health education, clinical service, research, or partnership development.​

  • Demonstrate leadership with impact beyond a single activity or short-term initiative.​

* Armenia, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe

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Selection Criteria​

Applicants or nominees will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Leadership & Initiative

  • Leads projects, programs, or partnerships within the individual’s home country or institution and/or across international partner sites through horizontal collaboration.​

  • Demonstrates proactive, self-directed leadership, including decision-making responsibility and accountability for outcomes.​

  • Identifies clearly defined needs or gaps and initiates, leads, or significantly advances actions to address them, with demonstrable outcomes or progress.​

2. Innovation

  • Introduces new ideas, models, or approaches in global health.​

  • Improves existing systems, curricula, partnerships, or workflows through novel or adaptive approaches.​

  • Demonstrates creativity in addressing resource-variable or complex settings.​

3. Sustainability and Responsible Global Health Practice

  • Demonstrates leadership aligned with the program’s values through a commitment to sustainable, ethically grounded initiatives that produce lasting impact within institutions, communities, or global health partnerships.​​​

 

Nomination process​

  • Nominations may be submitted by colleagues, supervisors, trainees, or​

  • international partner site representatives​

  • Self-nominations are permitted​

  • Nominators and nominees must be related to the Global Health Program community, including those affiliated with Nuvance Health / Northwell Health.

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Required Nomination Materials

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  1. Nomination Form

    • Brief summary (250–300 words) describing the rationale for the nomination or self-nomination.

  2. Leadership Statement 

    • Maximum 750–1,000 words

    • Describes:

      • Leadership role and initiatives

      • Innovation or improvements introduced

      • Evidence of sustainability and long-term impact

      • Relevance to the Global Health Program

  3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

    • 2–4 pages in PDF format

  4. Two Letters of Support

    • From a colleague, supervisor, trainee, or partner site representative

    • Should address leadership, innovation, and impact

    • If the nominee is nominated by someone else, the letter of support must be written by a different individual from the nominator

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Submission Process

  • All materials must be submitted electronically via the designated nomination portal (thinkific platform)

  • Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered

  • The submission deadline will be announced in the official call for nominations

Notification & Recognition

  • The selected recipient will be notified in advance of the conference

  • The award will be presented during the Global Health Conference 2026

  • The recipient may be invited to share brief reflections on their leadership journey

 

Review & Selection

  • Eligible nominations are reviewed by the Global Health Conference Awards Committee

  • Applications are scored using a standardized rubric aligned with:

    1. Leadership & Initiative

    2. Innovation

    3. Sustainability and Responsible Global Health Practice

  • Reviewers score independently and disclose conflicts of interest

  • Final selection is made through committee deliberation based on aggregate scores and qualitative discussion

Sister Jane Frances Award

This award recognizes a student who observes tragedies in underserved communities but overcomes the initial transient anger or frustration to find a creative solution and implement it with hard work and dedication.

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This award honors a student who moves beyond initial emotional responses—such as frustration, anger, or helplessness—to develop and implement a creative, thoughtful, and impactful solution through sustained effort, dedication, and ethical engagement. The award celebrates students who transform reflection into action and contribute meaningfully to communities and global health partnerships.

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Eligibility Criteria

Applicants or nominees must:

  • Be a medical student who has completed a Global Health Elective within the Nuvance Health Global Health Program

  • Demonstrate meaningful engagement beyond observation, with evidence of action, follow-through, and impact either abroad or at home.

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Selection Criteria

Applicants or nominees will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Cultural Humility and Responsible Engagement 

  • Demonstrates cultural sensitivity, humility, and respect in interactions with patients, communities, and partners

  • Engages ethically and responsibly, with awareness of local context, limitations, and power dynamics

  • Reflects thoughtfully on the impact of their actions and their role as a learner and future physician

2. Compassionate Leadership and Initiative 

  • Demonstrates initiative by responding to identified needs or inequities within underserved communities

  • Translates reflection and emotional response into purposeful, ethical action

  • Takes responsibility for implementing or advancing a solution rather than remaining in an observational role

3. Creativity and Problem-Solving 

  • Develops creative, context-appropriate solutions to identified challenges

  • Adapts approaches to local resources, cultural context, and community needs

  • Demonstrates persistence and flexibility in overcoming barriers

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Nomination process

  • Nominations may be submitted by faculty, supervisors, mentors, peers, or international partner site representatives

  • Self-nominations are permitted

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Required Nomination Materials​

1. Nomination Form

  • Brief summary (250–300 words) describing the rationale for the nomination or self-nomination.​

2. Student Reflection

Maximum 750–1,000 words

Should describe:

  • The context and challenge observed

  • Emotional response and reflection

  • Challenges encountered and lessons learned

  • Impact on the community and on the student’s professional development.

3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

  • 1–3 pages in PDF format.

4. One Letter of Support

  • From a faculty member, supervisor, mentor, or partner site representative

  • Should address the student’s initiative, creativity, dedication, and impact

  • If the student is nominated by someone else, the letter of support must be written by a different individual than the nominator.

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Submission Process

  • All materials must be submitted electronically via the designated nomination portal (thinkific platform)

  • Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered

  • Submission deadline will be announced in the official call for nominations

Notification & Recognition

  • The selected recipient will be notified in advance of the conference

  • The award will be presented during the Global Health Conference 2026

  • The recipient may be invited to briefly share reflections on their experience

​

Review & Selection

  • Eligible nominations are reviewed by the Global Health Conference Awards Committee

  • Applications are scored using a standardized rubric aligned with:

    • Cultural Humility and Responsible Engagement​

    • Compassionate Leadership and Initiative

    • Creativity and Problem-Solving

  • Reviewers score independently and disclose conflicts of interest

  • Final selection is made through committee deliberation based on aggregate scores and qualitative discussion

Majid Sadigh, MD Annual Scholarship Award

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This scholarship recognizes female faculty who have shown exceptional dedication to advancing health equity, social justice, and the well-being of underserved and marginalized communities. It celebrates leaders whose achievements reflect a long-standing commitment to the core values of global health.

 

Applications are welcomed from female faculty at our global health partner sites who have demonstrated meaningful impact through service, education, research, or advocacy.​

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Eligibility Criteria

Applicants Must:

  • Be a female faculty member affiliated with an international (non-US) academic institution partnered with the Nuvance Health Global Health Academy.

  • Demonstrate a strong record of service advancing health equity and social justice.

  • Present a project with clear objectives, a defined one-year plan of work, and anticipated impact at both individual and public health levels.

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Nomination process

  • Nominations may be submitted by faculty, supervisors, mentors, peers, or international partner site representatives.

  • Self-nominations are permitted.

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Required Nomination Materials​

A motivation letter (1–2 pages)

  • Describing their background, commitment to health equity, previous accomplishments, and the personal and professional significance of this scholarship opportunity.

  • The motivation letter is an opportunity for the applicant to:

    • Express their personal commitment to global health, equity, and social justice​.

    • Reflect on their past experiences and accomplishments in their own voice.

    • Articulate why they are well-positioned to make use of this scholarship.

    • Demonstrate alignment with the values and mission of the Global Health Academy.

    • Connect their personal story to the proposed project.

Curriculum Vitae
A project proposal (maximum 3 pages), including:

  • Objectives, methods, timeline, and budget.

  • Explanation of how the project builds on the applicant’s prior work.

  • Anticipated outcomes and impact.

  • Up to 10 citations may be included.

Three letters of reference from senior faculty at the applicant’s home institution.

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Submission Process

  • All materials must be submitted electronically via the designated nomination portal (thinkific platform)

  • Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered

  • Submission deadline will be announced in the official call for nominations

Notification & Recognition

  • The selected recipient will be notified in advance of the conference

  • The award will be presented during the Global Health Conference 2026

  • The recipient may be invited to briefly share reflections on their experience

​

Review & Selection

  • Eligible nominations are reviewed by the Global Health Conference Awards Committee

  • Reviewers score independently and disclose conflicts of interest

  • Final selection is made through committee deliberation based on aggregate scores and qualitative discussion

Links to online nomination forms will become available at a later date. Please check back regularly for more information as it becomes available

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