The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) is pleased to sponsor a special Doctoral Student Essay Competition in Health Services, Healthcare Management and Leadership, and Health Policy as part of AUPHA’s 75th Anniversary. This pilot essay competition is generously funded by the Baxter International Foundation.
The purpose of the competition is to stimulate and demonstrate the ability of future scholars to identify and describe important issues and developments in the many disciplines represented across the academy; and to address implications of their findings and conclusions for both management practice and the teaching of the subject matter to students.
AUPHA invites eligible students to submit high-quality essays with a focus on these topics:
- ambulatory care and practice management
- climate, health, and sustainability
- community and inter-organizational relations
- community, population, and public health
- diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
- ethics and law
- financial management
- governance
- governmental regulations and compliance
- human resources management
- information systems
- leadership
- marketing
- mental health and substance abuse services
- policy
- quality and safety
- social justice
- strategic planning
- subacute, long-term care, and the continuum of care
Eligibility
- The competition is open to students currently enrolled in a doctoral program in health services, healthcare management and leadership, and health policy at any accredited university. AUPHA is a global organization, welcoming of all academic programs and people from the healthcare management and leadership and health policy academy worldwide. To be eligible, entrants must be an AUPHA Doctoral Student Member - either as a student in an AUPHA Doctoral Level Member Program or an Individual Doctoral Student Member. Students in an AUPHA Doctoral level program member are eligible for three years of AUPHA membership at no cost. Doctoral students from other universities may join AUPHA as an Individual Member and receive three years of benefits for the price of one year of regular individual membership. For information on AUPHA membership types, visit here. To check to see if your PhD program is a member, click here.
- The Competition is open to students in both traditional, in-residence doctoral programs, and those in executive doctoral programs designed for working professionals.
- Essays must be the product of one individual (a single-authored work). Joint efforts will not be accepted. Essayists may, however, recognize the contributions of faculty mentors and other research collaborators in the Acknowledgment section, along with disclosures of funding and other support, IRB approvals, etc.
- Essays must not have been published previously and must not be currently under review.
There is no limit to the number of students who may submit essays from any one academic program or university. The Competition is open to all AUPHA Doctoral Student Members.
Instructions for Essayists
Essays may be up to fifteen pages, excluding the summary/abstract and reference list, and be written in accordance with the most recent, 7th edition of American Psychological Association (APA) formatting. The summary/abstract should be approximately 150 words and follow the title page. The student’s name and any acknowledgements of faculty mentors or other collaborator should appear only on the title page. The title of the essay should also appear on the summary page and on the first page of the text.
All essays must be word-processed, double-spaced (including references), and have margins 1 ¼ inches all around.
Evaluation
Essays submitted to AUPHA will be subjected to a thorough review by a Committee composed of academic faculty and practitioner scholars, co-chaired by Drs. Tory Hogan of The Ohio State University and Michele McGowan of King’s College. The Committee will employ five equally weighted criteria:
- Significance of the subject to healthcare management and leadership and health policy
- Creativity and innovativeness in approach to the topic
- Comprehensiveness and focus in developing the essay theme(s)
- Practical implications and usefulness for guiding management action
- Practical implications and usefulness for guiding teaching of the subject matter (what to teach and how to teach it), generally or at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral level(s)
- Clarity, conciseness, and elegance of the written word, including correct grammar, punctuation, and overall writing quality
Entries and Awards
Cash prizes will be awarded to the first-place, second-place, and third-place essayists. All three will receive a plaque from AUPHA commemorating the recognition of their essays.
The three finalists will have the opportunity to present their winning essays in one Doctoral Track session at the AUPHA Annual Meeting, June 29 - July 1, at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland (adjacent to Washington, D.C.). AUPHA will provide complimentary Doctoral Student Registration to the Annual Meeting (all AUPHA Annual Meeting sessions are open to Doctoral Student Members); two hotel nights at the Gaylord (single occupancy); $600.00 to cover airfare; and $500 for incidental costs, such as ground transportation and meals.
Publication
There is an opportunity for the first-place entry to be published in the Journal of Health Administration Education, the official journal of AUPHA. In this case, the winning essay will become the permanent property of AUPHA. The winning student essayist will be required to complete a copyright transfer form before publication in JHAE.
When and Where to Send Entries/Inquiries
Essays must be received at AUPHA by 11:50 PM Pacific Time, Monday, March 27, 2023. Entries will only be accepted electronically. Entries will only be accepted electronically. Submit your essay through the link below.
2023 AUPHA Doctoral Student Essay Submission Form
The three finalists will be notified in mid-April. We recommend all applicants hold the dates of Thursday, June 29, 2023, through Saturday, July 1, 2023, in case selected as a finalist. For more information, contact Lena Dixon, AUPHA’s Executive Assistant, at ldixon@aupha.org.