Phi Lambda Sigma exists to recognize leaders in the profession, cultivate leadership development, and inspire transformational change. While national awards and membership pathways highlight leadership across the Society, chapters play a critical role in shaping how leadership is identified, celebrated, and cultivated at the local level.
As the Society continues to evolve, there is an opportunity for chapters to expand how leadership is recognized, aligning with strategic priorities such as:
Chapters are uniquely positioned to identify leaders that may not be captured through traditional awards or recognition structures, particularly when grounded in a clear understanding of the needs and gaps within their own institutions or local communities.
For this year’s Leadership Challenge, the Phi Lambda Sigma Board of Directors encourages chapters to think creatively about how leadership is recognized within their local communities.
A strong initiative begins with a clear understanding of what need exists and what gap your chapter is trying to address. Thoughtful needs assessment and reflection should guide the design of your award.
As you begin developing your initiative, consider the following:
Chapters are encouraged to design initiatives that reflect their unique needs and vision. This may include:
Let this year’s Leadership Challenge be an opportunity to elevate diverse leadership and shape the future of recognition within Phi Lambda Sigma.
The Board of Directors proposes the following Leadership Challenge to YOU, our chapters:
Design a novel chapter-level award or recognition initiative that aligns with the mission and strategic priorities of Phi Lambda Sigma.
Your initiative should expand how leadership is recognized within your chapter, with flexibility to focus on any area of impact, innovation, or need identified by your chapter, including recognition of leaders across the continuum of training and professional practice, both within and beyond Phi Lambda Sigma membership.
As part of this process, chapters are required to complete a needs assessment to inform the development of their award and ensure alignment between the identified gap and the proposed recognition initiative.
Strong proposals will demonstrate a clear connection between the identified need and the design of the proposed award, as well as thoughtful, transparent, and sustainable approaches to recognizing leadership.
Multiple awards may be granted annually. The top finalist chapters will be invited to deliver a 5-minute presentation highlighting their proposal and planned recognition initiative during the 2027 PLS Awards Ceremony in April. Winning submission(s) will be selected through a popular vote by Awards Ceremony attendees.
Award amounts and the number of awards distributed will depend on the number of applications received and the level of funding requested. Award amounts will not exceed $3,000. Recipient chapters are expected to use awarded funds to support implementation of their proposed recognition initiative. In addition to funding support, recipient chapters will receive a commemorative plaque recognizing their achievement.
Awarded projects are expected to be implemented during the 2027–2028 academic year. Recipients of award funding will also be invited to provide a project update during the 2028 PLS Awards Ceremony. Awarded chapters are expected to submit a final report in PowerPoint format no later than one month before the 2028 Awards Ceremony. Reports should summarize project implementation, outcomes achieved, impact of the initiative, and how awarded funding was utilized. Chapters are encouraged to include photos, supporting materials, and examples of recognition efforts where applicable.
Reports should be submitted to awards@philambdasigma.org.
In 1965, through the creative imagination of Alabama Pharmacist Charlie Thomas, then a student at Auburn University School of Pharmacy, Phi Lambda Sigma, the Pharmacy Leadership Society, was founded. Believing that leaders needed recognition for their contributions to our profession, the Alpha chapter of Auburn University was chartered in 1965 and thus began the tradition that is Phi Lambda Sigma today. The membership of the society is rich in leadership diversity and values the enduring support of the many friends, deans, advisors, faculty, professional and student members.
The PLS chapter must be in good standing with the Central Office. To promote broad recognition across the Society, priority is given to recognizing as many unique chapters as possible. In the event of a high volume of applicants, priority may be given to chapters that have not previously received the award.
Proposals must be submitted electronically through the submission form linked at the bottom of this page. Your Leadership Challenge proposal should include the following components:
Leadership Challenge proposals will be evaluated using a standardized rubric. The top three proposals will be invited to deliver a 5-minute presentation highlighting their efforts at the 2027 PLS Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 10, 2027. The winning submission(s) will be selected through a popular vote by attendees.
Applications are reviewed by the Phi Lambda Sigma Awards Committee using a standardized evaluation process designed to ensure fairness and consistency across all submissions. While the complete scoring methodology is not publicly available, individuals are encouraged to review the evaluation framework and categories used to guide scoring.
Sunday, January 24th, 2027, at 11:59 PM PST.
The Phi Lambda Sigma Awards Committee strives to notify applicants of a decision within approximately six weeks following the submission deadline. Questions about the award, eligibility requirements, or submission procedures may be directed to michelle@philambdasigma.org
