Distinguished Neuropsychologist Award
The Distinguished Neuropsychologist award honors one member each year who has made a sustained and distinguished contribution to the Academy (AACN) and/or Board (ABCN), as well as to the greater field of Neuropsychology through their teaching, research, clinical, and/or leadership efforts. This is the highest award given by the AACN, recognizing outstanding sustained service.
Award Eligibility:
The nominee must be (1) an Active or Senior AACN member (board certified through ABCN and current with ABPP and AACN dues) and (2) not a member of the AACN Board of Directors at the time of the nomination.
Karen Postal Outstanding Mentorship Award
The Karen Postal Outstanding Mentorship Award recognizes a neuropsychologist who has shaped the future direction of clinical neuropsychology by fostering the careers of neuropsychology students and colleagues. This award honors the importance of mentoring in the field of neuropsychology, as well as the dedication and impact of individuals with a distinguished record of guiding, teaching, advising, and encouraging students and colleagues, including those who are connected to few other resources in the field. This will be a non-monetary award. An honorary plaque will be presented at either the AACN conference or SCN conference, as selected by the recipient.
Award Eligibility:
Nominees must be a clinical neuropsychologist and a member of either SCN or AACN and have significantly impacted the professional work and personal development of mentee(s) as illustrated in 2 testimonial letters and broadly evident in their vita. Nominees will generally be individuals who have been teaching, working, mentoring, and/or supervising in the field for at least 10 years, but early career professionals will certainly be considered. Nominations and self-nominations are welcome.
Scientific Pioneer Award
The Scientific Pioneer Award is a new award that honors/celebrates living scientific contributors to our field whose scientific work has caused a paradigm shift in the research and practice of neuropsychology. The theme or thrust of the publication(s) should be widely recognized and incorporated into relevant practice. It is not just about leadership but about scientific development that has changed our concepts and ideas. These individuals may or may not be AACN members. Up to three individuals (researching either together or separately) can be award recipients. Nomination materials should include:
- The name and contact information of the neuropsychologist who is being nominated
- The name and contact information of the nominating individual
- A 300 to 500 word nomination letter. The nomination letter should discuss in some detail the impact that the research has had on the field of neuropsychology as a whole; the impact that the research has had on subsequent neuropsychological research; originality of the research; and practical impact in the daily work of neuropsychology.
- Copy of the nominated, peer-reviewed publication(s).
Sweet Leadership Award
The Sweet Leadership award annually honors 1-2 AACN members who have shown outstanding/distinctive leadership or professional service recently that is likely to have a lasting imprint on the specialty and/or is recognized within the neuropsychology community as exceptionally important and beneficial. This award focuses explicitly on recent/ongoing work, not lifetime or career achievement. Recipients do not need to hold any official leadership role in an organization; the review panel encourages nominations of members both within and of official leadership roles.
Award Eligibility:
Nominees should generally be Active AACN members. However, under unusual circumstances, the committee may consider a non-AACN member who otherwise meets the criteria for the award.
The nomination deadline for all awards is November 1, 2026.