Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and looking forward to a great 2020 for our society. It is with excitement that I announce on behalf of the AUGS Board the inaugural AUGS Innovation Lectureship at PFD Week 2020 in Vancouver. Looking toward our future, this award is intended to honor members of the society and national/global community at large who have made major innovative contributions to the field of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. We are hopeful that this lectureship will honor the unique contributions innovation, as well as the innovators have made to the advancement of our specialty. 

In order to ensure that AUGS is aware of a wide breadth and depth of innovations, as well as clinical expertise, we have restructured how lecturers and award recipients are selected by AUGS. We have formed the AUGS Awards Committee whose members will oversee the nomination and selection process for this and other awards, including the Raymond A. Lee Lectureship and Robin Haff Research Award.   

We are now seeking nominations from the membership for two lectures and one award:

• AUGS Innovation Lectureship – Seeks the innovators and innovations that have improved the care of those impacted by pelvic floor disorders. Nominees can be an individual or group of individuals who have made significant, innovative scientific, clinical, technological or educational contributions to the field of Urogynecology.  This lectureship award is not limited to surgical procedures or technology, but meant to represent global innovation in our field. Likewise, nominees may be a clinician, lay person, educator, scientist, or businessperson.
• Raymond A. Lee Lectureship – Seeks an individual who has contributed to advancing the surgical field of urogynecology through mentorship, teaching and the care of women with pelvic floor disorders.
• Robin Haff Research Award – Seeks nominations for an individual research nurse or coordinator who has played an outstanding and sustained contribution to the clinical research process within female pelvic floor disorders research.

Visit the AUGS website to submit your nomination by January 27. Additional details on the application process are available on the AUGS website.  The award winners will be announced this summer and celebrated during the PFD Week 2020 in Vancouver. 

We look forward to your nominations!