Nomination Requirements
The following details what is required for majority of the award nominations for the National Planning Excellence, Leadership and Achievement Awards. Be sure to review the individual eligibility and criteria requirements for the specific award category you which to submit a nomination.
This information does not apply to the AICP Student Project Award, AICP Outstanding Student Award, or the APA Journalism Awards.
General Submission Information
Nominations must be submitted online through APA's website.
The components of a nomination include:
- Online application form
- One-page summary of the entry (200 – 400 words)
- Two-page narration of how the entry meets the award criteria (400 – 800 words)
- At least one, up to five letters of support (collapsible)
- Submit at least one (1) but no more than five (5) one-page letters of support.
- Letter(s) should offer support for the value of the nominated effort
- Letter(s) may not be written by the nominator of the submission, by the nominated individual or by anyone who directly worked on the project.
- Comments from APA chapters, divisions, members, and other stakeholders involved with the subject of the nomination are encouraged.
- Digital images that are copyright free with captions
All award nominations for National Planning Awards, including the HUD Secretary's Award, must include 10 digital, copyright-free images (.jpeg format) with photo captions.
- Ten (10) digital (.jpeg format) images
- Images must be copyright-free
- Images should provide context and show the award nomination's positive or intended results.
- Images should supplement what exists in the submission package.
- Each image is limited to a maximum 600 kilobytes (KB).
- Each image must include a photo caption. Captions must be between 15 and 25 words each.
- Photo collages and PowerPoint presentations are not acceptable.
*Submit only images that are not copyrighted and may be reproduced by APA without a fee, charge, or copyright infringement.
Photos for Individual or Leadership Award Nominations
- Include at least one (1) recent picture of the individual.
- Include five (5) additional photos that are representative or illustrative of the person's most significant professional work and endeavors.
- Pictures taken of the nominee while on personal leave, vacation, or in non-work-related settings should not be included.
- Each photo must include a caption. Captions must be between 15 to 25 words.
Image captions
Captions must accompany all submitted photos. Captions must be between 15 to 25 words each.
- Optional supplemental materials
Supplemental documentation may be included with the nomination. There are three options for including supplemental materials with your awards nomination:
- Attach materials to the awards nomination (limited to 30MB of space).
- Provide website links to the materials
- Mail a CD to accompany your nomination form.
- Copy the information onto a CD. Mail five (5) copies of the CD and five (5) copies of your completed and submitted online nomination form to:
American Planning Association
Attn: 2009 Awards Program
122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60603
Entry Fee, If Applicable
An entry fee is required for all award nominations EXCEPT the following award categories:
- HUD Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award
- AICP National Planning Pioneer Award
- AICP Student Project Awards
- AICP Outstanding Student Awards
- APA President's Award for Meritorious Service
- AICP President's Award for Exceptional Practice
- International Planning Leadership Award
- APA Journalism Awards
The fee for award categories not listed above are:
- $60 per nomination for APA members
- $100 per nomination for non-APA members
Fees must be paid by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) online via the APA website. Cash payments are not accepted.
How to Submit a Nomination
- You will be prompted to log in to start your form.
- Use your APA ID, if you already have one, or create an ID.
- Members receive a $40 discount on the awards entry fee.
- Create a non-member login or become a member of APA
- You may submit a nomination form on behalf of someone else (using this person's name as the nominator).
- If you wish to start the nomination form and return later, you must log in using the same ID and password when you return.
