APHON Early Career Researcher Award
Selected by the APHON Evidence-Based Practice/Research Committee and presented at the annual conference to an APHON member who is an early career nurse scientist. Investigators that received this award have a building record of conducting funded research but have not received NIH RO1 funding, primarily facilitates research by others, or has evidence of contributions to evidence-based knowledge of nursing care of children and their families in hematology/oncology arenas.
The recipient of this award receives recognition at the annual conference, in a press release, and an announcement is sent to the recipient’s employer.
Candidates for this award must meet the following criteria:
- APHON member in good standing
- Completion of an independent research project that:
- advances the care of children with cancer and/or hematological disorders and their families
- shows significant promise for development into a program of research that will contribute to the scientific foundation for practice
- Lead author for a data-based abstract accepted for oral presentation at an APHON conference
- May be self-nominated or may have nomination submitted by another APHON member. If a nomination is submitted by another APHON member, the EBP/Research Committee encourages the nominator to work directly with the nominee on writing responses to the essay questions.
- Current members of the EBP/Research Committee are not eligible for this award.
Completed nominations must include two letters of recommendation from nurses that elaborate on the above criteria. Once of the letters of recommendation may come from the nominator.
Nominations must be submitted by May 1, 2026.
APHON Evidence-Based Practice Early Career Researcher Award Recipient
The 2025 APHON Evidence-Based Practice Early Career Researcher Award was granted to Clifton P. Thornton, PhD MSN RN CPNP.
Pictured are Evidence-Based Practice & Research Chair Casey Hooke, Clifton Thornton and Immediate Past President Dyane Bunnell.
Past Recipients
- 2024: Kimberly Pyke-Grimm, PhD RN CPHON®
- 2023: Melissa P. Beauchemin, PhD MSN RN CPNP
- 2022: Jenny Raybin, PhD RN CPNP
- 2021: Kitty Montgomery, PhD RN PCNS-BC CPHON®
- 2020: Brooke Cherven, PhD MPH RN CPON®
- 2019: Kristin Stegenga, PhD RN CPON®
- 2018: Janice Withycombe, PhD RN MN CCRP
- 2017: Lauri Linder, PhD APRN CPON®
- 2015: Stacey Crane, MSN RN CPON®
- 2011: Belinda Mandrell, MSN RN CPNP