New award for Business of Health breakthroughs carries $25,000 prize

WashU Olin Business School’s inaugural Business of Health Innovation Award showcases outstanding contributions by Olin faculty, alumni, students, or staff that leverage business innovation and expertise to improve health.

Alumni, students (majors and minors), or staff may be nominated. Eligible work by any member of the Olin community may include high-impact research that is innovative and groundbreaking on a broad scale, health-focused entrepreneurship, meaningful contributions to health policy, and thought leadership or public engagement, all of which have the potential to shape the future of health and healthcare. Work will be evaluated on how it demonstrates value and the transparency of its limitations. 

The award comes with a $25,000 prize and will be presented in Spring 2026 at WashU Olin’s annual health symposium.

How to apply

Any Olin-affiliated faculty, staff, students or alumni may submit a nomination. The deadline for applications is October 17.

View a PDF version of this form.

Key Dates

• Submissions open: Now
• Submission deadline: Friday, October 17, 2025
• Winner selected and notified: Late January/Early February, 2026
• Award presented: WashU Olin Business School Health Symposium, Spring 2026

Committee Members

• Patrick Aguilar, Professor of Practice of Organizational Behavior and Managing Director of Health
• Lamar Pierce, Beverly and James Hance Professor of Strategy
• Barton Hamilton, Robert Brookings Smith Distinguished Professor of Economics, Management, and Enterprise and Academic Advisor for the Center for Experiential Learning
• Daniel Elfenbein, Vice Dean of Research and Professor of Strategy and Organization
• Ryan McDevitt, Professor of Economics
• Lingxiu Dong, Frahm Family Chair Professor of Supply Chain, Operations, and Technology

Have questions? Contact us at knipp@wustl.edu.