THE AWARDS
TCM Awards is an international awards initiative in development, centred on the people and ideas contributing to traditional Chinese medicine.
Knowledge is sustained by people: those who preserve it, investigate it, teach it and share it. We want to create a place where their contributions can be described clearly and recognised thoughtfully.
The vision is to develop country programmes within a shared framework. Local eligibility and context will be explained separately from language, so each programme can be understood by its own community and an international audience.
We are developing the award structure. The organising entity, participating countries, confirmed categories and first edition will be published when finalised. No past winners or completed editions are being claimed.
THE WORK WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND
We want clear accounts of contribution to make the work of people and organisations understandable across backgrounds. These are ways to describe that work, not confirmed award categories or recipient stories.
Preserve & teach
A carefully documented curriculum, sustained mentoring programme or systematic study of historical texts can provide a starting point for describing a contribution. What was preserved, how was it used and what did learners gain?
Investigate & explain
Research matters for the clarity of its questions, the suitability of its methods and an honest account of its limitations. Claims about treatment effectiveness require relevant research evidence, rather than reputation or individual testimonials.
Serve & connect
Sustained community education, improved access to services and cross-cultural collaboration can show how work takes shape in different places. Descriptions should distinguish the number of activities from the changes they brought about.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE · LOCAL CONTEXT
Education, professional practice and community needs vary between countries. We plan to organise local eligibility, editions and assessment information through country programmes, applying shared principles with attention to context. Programmes will be introduced as their details are confirmed.
Country and language are separate dimensions. English and Traditional Chinese provide access to the same information. Contributions will be associated with the relevant country, edition and category. Work rooted in a local community deserves consideration alongside international collaboration.
Identify the contributor’s role, period of work, beneficiaries and outcomes so that the reason for recognition can be understood.
Use evidence suited to the claim, respect personal information and research limitations, and distinguish established facts from aspirations.
Formal assessment should publish conditions, fees and procedures in advance, address conflicts of interest and provide a route for corrections and concerns.
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Explore the judging philosophy, prepare a preliminary nomination or contact us about regional collaboration, professional exchange and media enquiries. The nomination fee is USD 499; the website does not currently accept payment.
The organising entity, first country programme, confirmed categories, edition and timeline, judging arrangements, payment and refund terms. These details will establish the basis for formal participation.