Awards, Scholarships and Grants

Award submission deadline for 2023 to be announced.

Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized by the National Organization for Human Services? NOHS awards, scholarships, and a research grant are presented to students, educators, and practitioners for their noteworthy leadership, advocacy, scholarship, and excellence. Please consider nominating yourself or acknowledging someone else for their outstanding work by nominating them for one of our numerous awards.

All nominations will be reviewed by the NOHS Awards Committee. The awards, scholarship, and grant recipients will be recognized at the NOHS Virtual Conference. 

Please note that you must be a current member in order to be considered for most of these awards. To become a member of NOHS, please click here.

Nomination materials deadline details coming soon. Decisions regarding the nominations will be made shortly after the deadline.

All nomination materials, including official copies of electronic transcripts, should be submitted electronically to Dr. Radha Horton-Parker, Awards Committee Chair, at rhorton-parker@nationalhumanservices.org with NOHS Awards listed in the subject line.
Please contact Dr. Horton-Parker at rhorton-parker@nationalhumanservices.org if you have any questions.
For more information, click on the following links.

The Awards Committee accepts nominations until August 31 each year for the following awards, scholarships, and research grant.

David C. Maloney Scholarship
This scholarship is focused on high academic achievement and is presented to a student who is currently enrolled in a human services program. The words “human service” or” human services” must be in the program title as the term is not used to include programs in other related disciplines. The degree sought may be at the associates, bachelor’s or master’s level. Special consideration is given to applicants with special needs or minority status. One scholarship is awarded to one student each year the criteria are met.

Harold McPheeters Scholarship
This service-focused scholarship honors Dr. Harold McPheeters and his contributions to the human services profession. Dr. McPheeters is considered by many to be the founder of human services education in the United States. The applicant is expected to demonstrate successful work in human services in which he or she has been acknowledged by others to be respectful of and dedicated to clients as well as possessing interpersonal skills that are evident with colleagues in the workplace. Volunteer, part-time or full-time work will be considered.

Howard Harris Professional Development Award
The National Organization for Human Services honors Howard Harris' contributions to the field of human services. This award is bestowed upon a member of NOHS who demonstrates promise in the area of research and scholarship. Nominees/applicants are typically in an academic setting and must be in within the first five years of their careers.

Lenore McNeer Award
This award is presented to a member of NOHS or a person who has made a distinctive contribution to the field of human services as a practitioner or as an educator.

Miriam Clubok Award
This award is presented to a member of NOHS who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in support of NOHS's mission, goals and objectives.

Outstanding Contribution by an Organization
This award is presented to an organization, agency, or company that has shown outstanding support for NOHS’ mission and goals. The organization may be a nonprofit community agency; a faculty run project that has nonprofit status; a student- run club sanctioned by a university; or a for-profit company. Examples of support for NOHS include: a company that provides funding for student travel to a conference; the promotion of NOHS at local events; membership drives for NOHS among human service professionals in the local community; sponsorship of NOHS regional events. Keep in mind these efforts should produce a record of accomplishments across time. One-time events resulting in unusual accomplishments may also be considered.

Outstanding Human Services Student Award
This award is presented to a student member of NOHS who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the field of human services during the time of his or her degree completion. The student should be nominated by a person in a professional capacity (i.e., college/university faculty or employee of a social services organization).

Research Grant
The research grant is a mini-grant that can be used to fund start-up projects, demonstration projects or the first phase of a larger project using a $500 award. The focus of the award can be on a variety of topics in both practice and academic settings in human services. The recipient must show accountability for the funding by submitting receipts or other documentation within one year of receiving the award check from NOHS. If the funding is not used within one year, it must be returned to NOHS. In addition, the recipient must produce a manuscript for a professional journal OR an article for The Link OR make a presentation at a NOHS regional or national conference within 24 months after receiving the check.

To become a member of NOHS please click here. Please note that you must be a current member in order to be considered for most of these awards.

Application material must be submitted by August 31 to be considered. All application materials, including official transcripts, should be submitted electronically to Dr. Radha Horton-Parker with NOHS Awards listed in the subject line at rhorton-parker@nationalhumanservices.org. 

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions.