NIH Employee Award Categories
HHS Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service
This is an honor award granted by the Department and is conferred by the Secretary for service that significantly advanced the Department's mission and goals. It represents a display(s) of leadership, skill, ability, and customer service performed in such a manner that the team and/or the employee performed significantly above those with similar duties, and that the results of these efforts were distinctly beneficial to the Department. This award is an appropriately inscribed plaque.
IC Merit/Director’s Awards
IC Merit/Director's Awards are awarded by IC Directors and NIH Deputy and Associate Directors to recognize individuals or groups whose superior service and achievement warrant special appreciation.
NIH Commissioned Officer Awards
Commissioned Officer Awards Nomination Deadline: May 8th and August 29th.
NIH Director's Award
2013 NIH Director's Awards Ceremony Brochure 
The purpose of the NIH Director's Award is to recognize employees who exhibited superior performance or special efforts significantly beyond their regular duty requirements, but directly related to fulfilling the NIH mission.
- Award Categories, Eligibility, and Criteria
- Awards Review Committee
- NIH Award for Mentoring
- Submit Nomination for NIH Director's Award
NIH Employee Recognition Award
NIH employee recognition awards include, Special Act, On-the-Spot, Performance, Time Off, QSI, Referral, Suggestion & Invention.
- NIH Awards Handbook
- NIH Manual 2300-451-1 - NIH Employee Awards Program
- Appendix A. Eligibility for Monetary Recognition
- Appendix B. Eligibility for Non-Monetary Recognition
- Appendix C. Monetary Awards Categories
- Appendix D. Non-Monetary Award Categories
- Appendix E. Tangible Benefits and Intangible Benefits Scales
- Appendix F. Other Awards
- Appendix A. Eligibility for Monetary Recognition
NIH Employee Referral Award Program
HHS Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service Nomination Deadline: Usually January 5th each year, or the first regular workday following January 5th, if the 5th is a weekend or holiday
Non-HHS Awards
Various organizations outside the Department sponsor awards for which HHS employees may be nominated. The eligibility and criteria requirements for each type of award are described in the OPM's Annual Honor Awards Planning Guide 
.
