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Plant Protection and Quarantine 

Deputy Administrator’s 2023 Safeguarding Award 

Safeguarding Award Background and Criteria 

The Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Deputy Administrator’s Safeguarding Award 

recognizes exceptional work in safeguarding America’s agricultural and natural resources. The 

basis for the award is the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHS) and PPQ Mission 

Statements. The award recognizes individuals or teams that contribute to the safeguarding 

continuum through offshore programs, permitting, border and port inspection, pest 

identification and mitigation, smuggling interdiction and trade compliance, new pest detection 

and response, and pest eradication and management in support of APHIS/PPQ's mission. 

The award celebrates outstanding initiative and innovation; efforts that go above and beyond 

expectations, ingenuity, and demonstrated results from anywhere within the safeguarding 

continuum. The PPQ Deputy Administrator will consider nominations that demonstrate the best 

mix of these elements. Above all, a nomination should showcase work that has risen above 

expectations and that is truly exceptional in protecting our agricultural resources. 

APHIS Mission Statement

To safeguard the health, welfare and value of American agriculture and natural resources.

PPQ Mission Statement 

APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine safeguards U.S. agriculture and natural resources 

against the entry, establishment, and spread of economically and environmentally significant 

pests, and facilitates the safe trade of agricultural products. 

Eligibility 

Nominees may be a member or team of employees of PPQ. Eligible nominees include 

employees of PPQ and our cooperators—ranging from Federal and State governments, colleges 

and universities, non-profit institutions, industry, and Tribal nations. If the nominee is from 

outside PPQ, the nomination must identify how the nominee’s work links directly to activities 

within the safeguarding continuum and supportive of PPQ’s mission. 

Submission of Nominations – Instructions 

IMPORTANT: Failure to adhere to these instructions will disqualify the submission. 

Step 1: Consider PPQ’s mission statement and criteria above as you decide whether to nominate 

someone; the nominee’s actions must have taken place within the qualification 

period which is between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. 

Step 2: Provide the information requested in parts A and B following the instructions carefully.

Step 3: Feel free to attach supplementary information such as a report or other documentation as 

needed to support the nomination, but please note that the total number of pages for any 

supplemental information may not exceed five pages. 

Step 4: Submit your nomination to thePPQDAAC@usda.gov. An Awards Committee

member will contact you acknowledging receipt of the nomination. Please submit all 

questions regarding the nomination or the nomination process to the same email address.
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Step 5: Submit during the open period: March 18, 2024, through 5:00 p.m. EST, 

April 26, 2024. 

Selection of Award Recipient

The Deputy Administrator’s Award Committee (DAAC) will review nominations for the 

Safeguarding Award and will forward its rankings and recommendations to the PPQ Deputy 

Administrator. The decision for the award recipient rests with the PPQ Deputy Administrator. 

The person or team selected for recognition will receive a letter, a certificate, and a trophy or 

medallion. The award recipient will be listed on the PPQ Safeguarding Awards web page and 

announced in other related communications. 

PLEASE NOTE: The scoring instructions require every question to be scored against 

established criteria and point values. It is important for every question to be answered. A blank 

answer will result in an automatic score of zero for that question. 

PART A 

Instructions for Part A: 

Write an answer of no more than 100 words to each question from 6 through 11. Be 

clear and specific. 

1. Who is making this nomination?

Please list the nominator(s). For each, you must provide the name (including title: Dr., etc.) job 

title, agency or organization, business address and contact information (phone number and 

email address). 

If your nominee(s) are selected, do you wish this nomination to remain anonymous if asked by 

the award winner(s)? Yes No
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2. Who is the nominee?

If nominating one person or a team, please provide the following information for each: 

Name (including title: Dr., etc.) 

Job title 

Agency or organization 

Business address 

Contact information (phone number and email address) 

PLEASE NOTE: The person submitting the nomination must provide a complete list of all 

nominees who contributed to the body of work described in the nomination, as well as

complete and accurate information for each person on the list. Failure to do so may result in 

delays in the award process. Please confirm the information above before submitting the 

nomination. 
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3. If nominating a team, who would be considered the leader?

4. If nominating a team, list at least one person involved in the management of this work

who will review and confirm that the list of nominees is all-inclusive and accurate.

5. If nominating a team, please provide a descriptive name, which will be used for

tracking, correspondence, and possible engraving on a trophy or plaque.

6. Describe the basis of the nomination (i.e., what did the nominee do between January 1,

2023, and December 31, 2023?).

7. How did the nominee’s actions enhance safeguarding?

8. How did the nominee’s actions demonstrate innovation and/or initiative?
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9. How did the nominee’s actions go above and beyond expectations?

10. How did the nominee’s actions display ingenuity?

11. Which part of the safeguarding continuum did the nominee’s actions fulfill and how?

(The continuum includes three categories: Around the World, At the Border, and Across the

Nation. A full description of each area of the continuum is available at: insert link to 1-pager

here)
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PART B

Instructions for Part B:

• Write an answer of no more than 500 words

12. What was the result, outcome, or success of the nominee’s actions and how did those

actions relate to APHIS and PPQ’s missions?