2025 ABSA International Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Awards
The Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Awards have been created to recognize ABSA International members in their efforts in promoting biosafety through marketing initiatives. A first and second place award in each category shall be given, when merited. These awards will be presented during the 68th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference.
There are 2 categories of awards:
Biosafety and Biosecurity Month Outreach Award
This award recognizes distinction in the creation of innovative materials for biosafety marketing and outreach.
Submissions for this category should be single pieces of media created and used by an institution for promotion of biosafety related activities. These pieces are generally considered “stand alone” items. The following media are examples that may be submitted for this award, but other “stand alone” types of media submissions may also be considered: Issue of a Newsletter; Printed Advertisement; Poster; Signage; Video (if you are submitting video, please include a link in the summary information); Brochure; Mailer; Webpage; T-shirt; Classic Promotional Item; etc.
Submissions for this award should include:
- Copy of outreach item for award consideration
- Summary of the item’s intended role in supporting the institution’s biosafety program and method of deployment.
Biosafety and Biosecurity Month Achievement Award
This award recognizes distinction in an institution’s efforts to promote Biosafety and Biosecurity Month.
Comprehensive promotion of 2025 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month generally includes multiple actions and pieces of media used over a period of time. Deployment strategy, integration of quality media and mediums, message clarity, creativity, originality, and measures of success and outcomes (impact) will be considered as important attributes in determining the excellence of an institution’s efforts to promote 2025 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month.
Submissions for this award should include:
- Copy of project for award consideration
- Summary of the institute’s initiative for the promotion of 2025 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month highlighting the attributes described above.
Entry Requirements
To be eligible to receive the award, the following requirements must be met:
- The applicant must be a current member of ABSA International.
- A separate, online form must be submitted for each award entry.
- The applicant submitting the award shall have been primarily responsible for the initiation, development, and deployment/implementation of the submissions for each ABSA Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Awards. They will not have had to create the submission materials internally in their entirety. All providers for the creation and production of materials must be identified on the application, including third-party contributors. The applicant must be proactive in identifying who has participated in the creation and production of the submitted item. Deviation from this requirement may result in disqualification of a submission.
- ABSA International members participating in the judging of ABSA International Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Awards are not eligible for entry.
Online Submission Process & Awards
- Please compose your summary based on the award for which you are applying (approx. 750 words) you will be asked for this summary on your online application.
- Submit your entry online using the 2025 Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Awards Media Attachment Form (entries must be submitted online)
- The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2025.
- Winners will be posted on the Awards page of the ABSA International website at ABSA.org
Past Award Recipients
2024
Judith Okolo, Youth for Biosecurity, 2021-2023 cohorts – Nigerian participants
Biosafety & Biosecurity Handbook for Students in Nigeria
2nd place
Sarah Ziegler, Sitero, LLC
31 Days of Biosafety
Marie-Luise Faber, University of Pennslyvania
U of Pennsylvania Biosafety Awareness Tables
2nd place
Shane Gillooly, University of Miami
U of Miami Biosafety Month Annual Seminar
2023
First Prize:
University of Southern California BSC Video (Youtube)
Submitted by the USC Biosafety Team
Brent Pantell, Alex Alviar, Jerome Williams, Erick Guandique, Prashan De Zoysa, Filiberto Palacios, Deona Willes, Dick Sun
Second Prize:
Biosafety Bulletin- Biosafety Month 2023(pdf)
Submitted by Matt Stinoski, West Virginia University with contributions by Ali Elliott
Honorable Mention:
October Biosafety and Biosecurity Month Flyer(pdf)
Submitted by: Randy Albrecht, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai with contributions by Sarah Rosa and Lokendrasingh Chauhan
2022
Lab coats have pockets
Kerri Kwist, Clemson University
Elizabeth Littauer Bassett
University of Pennsylvania
Digital signage for building lobby screen
Christopher Aston, Columbia University
2019
Safety Minute-Research Related Biohazard Exposure ABCs
Anne Viroreli, Karin Wasler, Kendall Lafranchi, University of California—Los Angeles
CSU Biosafety Stewardship Initiative
Christine Johnson & Emma Mannino, Colorado State University
2018
The Hall of Horrors-Safety Video Game
Holley Trucks, University of Kentucky
Safety Games-Safety Oriented Scavenger Hunt
Hsiang-Ming Wang, University of Chicago
2017
Don’t be Sorry | Be Safe!
Richard Baumann, National Institutes of Health
Stay Alert, Don’t Get Stuck
Irene Mendoza, Giorgio Scarpellini, Catherine Mancini, Arizona State University
