We are thrilled to invite you to recognize outstanding leaders through the 2025 AUCD Awards! We want to highlight individuals whose dedication and innovation have resulted in positive change and outcomes for people with disabilities.
Please visit the AUCD Awards and Descriptions page to review the descriptions of the awards. Here are the following award categories:
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- George S.Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award
- Special Recognition Award
- Young Professional Award
- Anne Rudigier Award
- Multicultural Council Award for Leadership in Diversity
- Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy
- Gold Star Award
- AUCD International Service Award
- CORE Trainee Research Award
Thank you for your continued support.
Your nominations help us celebrate exceptional talent and reinforce our shared commitment to a more inclusive and equitable world.
NOMINATION APPLICATION
Nominations will close on Friday, September 12, 2025.
Learn more about the AUCD Awards
Questions?
Past Award Recipients
When nominating a leader, please ensure you confirm eligibility. Preliminary screening questions for each award can be found to the right.
- Is the nominee a UCEDD, LEND, or IDDRC trainee and/or student?
- Is the nominee currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and in good academic standing?
- Has the nominee demonstrated a commitment to supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families?
- Has the nominee (an individual or group inside or outside of the AUCD Network) demonstrated outstanding contributions that further programs or policies designed to create more inclusive communities for people with disabilities and their families throughout the world?
- Has the nominee made personal and professional efforts that positively impacted people with disabilities and their families at local, regional, or national levels in the host country?
For the purpose of this award, research is defined as Experimental or Quasi-experimental Designs; Single Subject Designs; Single Case Designs; Correlational Designs; or Qualitative Designs.
- Is the nominee participating in research?
- Is the nominee a current AUCD Network trainee at a UCEDD, LEND, or IDDRC who completed their training within the last two years of the award year?
- Is the nominee a UCEDD, LEND, or IDDRC executive, faculty, or staff member?
- Has the nominee spent 20 years or more of their career positively impacting AUCD’s mission of advancing policy and practice for and with people with disabilities, their families, and communities?
- Is the nominee a current or past faculty or staff at a UCEDD, LEND, or IDDRC and/or a current or past member of a Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) or the CAC as a group?
- Has the nominee shown exemplary leadership and advocacy practices of including people with disabilities, served as an example to the community and the Network by nurturing and promoting leadership opportunities for people with disabilities, and/or made significant contributions and efforts to increase leadership opportunities for people with disabilities and their families?
- Has the nominee (inside or outside of the AUCD Network) spent 20 years or more of their career serving people with disabilities and their families?
- Is the nominee an AUCD Network member or organization?
- Has the nominee shown leadership and commitment to advancing programs and practices aimed at increasing the diversity, cultural, and/or linguistic competencies within a Center or Program and the AUCD Network?
- Has the nominee made significant contributions in furthering the understanding of diversity for the needs of families seeking disability services?