Annual Organ Donation Challenge

April is national Organ Donation Awareness Month! The AST Transplant Pharmacy Community of Practice supports an annual event called “The Organ Donation Challenge.” The Challenge relies on collaboration with pharmacy schools and student chapters of pharmacy professional organizations. Students are challenged to design and conduct at least one organ donation event and submit a summary by Friday, May 10, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST. 

Here you will find the 2024 Organ Donation Project Guide. The guide provides an overview of transplant, describes why organ donation is important, reviews the organ donation challenge, lists pharmacy school liaisons/mentors, provides a project planning timeline, and contains examples of past organ donation projects. Examples of past projects are also highlighted on our Instagram (@ast_txppharmcop).  

Qualifications for Submission:

1. Have a collaborator who is a current member of the AST Transplant Pharmacy COP
2. Complete the appropriate Google Form below to summarizing the challenge event/project:
   1. Student Submission Form
      Project will be considered for The Best Overall, Best New Project, and Most Sustainable Project when utilizing this form
   2. Resident Submission Form
      1. Applicant will be considered for Best Resident Project when utilizing this form
      2. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT: Resident MUST have their AST Champion send a letter via email to  Olivia Snow (osnow@myast.org), Taylor Zurick (taylor.zurick@bswhealth.org), and Helen Sweiss (Helen.Sweiss@uhtx.com) confirming the resident’s involvement.

Awards:

1. The Best Overall Project
   Awarded to the group who receives the overall highest score. The winner of this category will be featured at the 2023 American Transplant Congress, and the winning school will receive an engraved plaque in recognition of their efforts. A monetary prize of $500 is sponsored by Veloxis Pharmaceuticals is awarded to the Best Overall Project. 

2. Best New Project
   Awarded to a school that has not previously submitted a project to the Organ Donation Challenge. The new school with the best new project will be awarded a monetary prize of $250 sponsored by Veloxis Pharmaceuticals.

3. Most Sustainable Project
   Awarded to a school whose efforts are most likely to be continued on an annual basis. The school will provide justification on how their events are likely to be sustained. The most sustainable project will be awarded a monetary prize of $250 sponsored by Veloxis Pharmaceuticals.

4. Best Resident Project
   Awarded to the top-scoring application with significant resident involvement. In order to apply, the resident who participated will provide an overview of their involvement and submit their letter to Olivia Snow (osnow@myast.org), Taylor Zurick (taylor.zurick@bswhealth.org), Helen Sweiss (Helen.Sweiss@uhtx.com), and their AST Champion via email. The best resident project will be awarded a $250 monetary prize sponsored by Veloxis Pharmaceuticals.

Project Evaluation:

The challenge will include a focus on collaboration with the schools of pharmacy. Encouragement for participation by the schools of pharmacy will be extended through the AST Transplant Pharmacy Community of Practice. All submissions are evaluated by a panel of three impartial judges selected by the AST Transplant Pharmacy Community of Practice. The judges will not be eligible for the award and will consider both qualitative and quantitative factors when scoring the projects. The winners will be announced at the 2024 American Transplant Congress. Please see the Organ Donation Project Guide for the most up-to-date scoring criteria.