Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award
Now Accepting Nominations
The Lerner Center is partnering with APHA to recognize exceptional advocates from across the country with the $30,000 Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award. This award is for an academic faculty member from an accredited school or program of public health who has made notable progress in their area of expertise through impactful advocacy work.
Nominations for the award are open through April 20, 2026.
Background
In 2018, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health launched a strategic plan, in which 'advocacy' appeared as an essential pillar for approaching today's public health challenges. In that spirit, Sidney and Helaine Lerner initiated a generous gift for the Sommer Klag Advocacy Awards program that would build on the School’s long tradition of advocacy and encourage lasting change well into the future. The awards honor past giants in our field, namely Deans Emeriti Alfred Sommer and Michael Klag, and inspire the next generation of advocates and champions.
Advocacy is a crucial skillset, urgently needed for the success of future public health leaders. Traditionally, advocacy has been undervalued in public health training, particularly in academic settings. We are seeing a growing recognition of the need for advocacy skills, and it is time to elevate success stories.
FAQ
What is the Advocacy Achievement Award?
The Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award aims to promote a culture of advocacy in academia. The Lerner Center established a strategic partnership with APHA to elevate advocacy as a critical part of public health training and education across the country.
We define advocacy as strategic actions taken to drive social, organizational, or policy change on behalf of particular health goals or population health. This encompasses a range of disciplines and practices that effectively engage and inform policymakers, media, and the public to act and embrace evidence-based solutions for public health challenges.
| WHO | WHAT | HOW |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Full-time academic faculty member from accredited school or program of public health | $30,000 prize, engraved award, and funding for attendance to the APHA Annual Meeting. | The winner's work will demonstrate:
|
What is the timeline?
January - April 2026: Nomination period
August/September 2026: Winner selected and notified
November 2026: Winner announced during APHA Awards Ceremony at the 2026 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX
How are nominations submitted?
Nominations are submitted through an online submission form.
Guidance
- Submissions should be focused on policy advocacy. We define advocacy as strategic actions taken to drive social, organizational, or policy change on behalf of particular health goals or population health. This encompasses a range of disciplines and practices that effectively engage and inform policymakers, media, and the public to act and embrace evidence-based solutions for public health challenges.
- Submissions should be focused on coordinated efforts related to a specific policy goal or success story.
2026 Nomination Form Items
- Title/topic of work (30 words or less)
- Overall description and quality of the work - what is the need, origin, and window of opportunity for the work? (400 words or less)
- Nominee's role in and contribution to a shift in policy, social norms, or behavior - what has the nominee done and how was the work strategic and/or innovative? (e.g., providing testimony, drafting legislation, translational research, policy briefs, media advocacy, etc.) These are just examples, please include unique actions that apply to your work. (400 words or less)
- External partnerships and coalitions - what partnerships/relationships have been built or strengthened as a result of this work? (400 words or less)
- Impact assessment - What are the long-term implications of this work and what would success look like? How has success been measured? (400 words or less)
- Contribution to the field - how does this work move the field of public health advocacy forward? (400 words or less)
- CV & 2 supporting documents (e.g., publications, articles, videos, or other supplemental materials). Documents can be shared via hyperlink and/or file upload.
- Two letters of recommendation from a current or past colleague, community partner, mentor, department chair, or another person that can speak to the nominee’s advocacy work (optional)
What if I have more questions?
Please email Diane Coraggio (diane.coraggio@jhu.edu) if you have specific questions about the awards process.
2025 Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award Winner: April Alexander, PsyD
Apryl Alexander, PsyD, has been named the winner of the 2025 Sommer Klag Advocacy Achievement Award. Dr. Alexander, the Metrolina Distinguished Professor of Health and Policy in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, (UNC), earned the $30,000 award for her advocacy work on behalf of at-promise and systems-involved youth.