Safeguarding and Safe Trade Awards

Last Modified: April 23, 2024
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The PPQ Deputy Administrator's Safeguarding Award and Safe Trade Award recognize outstanding initiatives and innovations that protect American agriculture and plant resources.

Safeguarding Award

The Safeguarding Award recognizes exceptional work in PPQ’s safeguarding mission. The basis for the award is PPQ’s safeguarding continuum, which is a wide range of activities that PPQ and our partners undertake to prevent the entry and spread of pests that threaten America’s agricultural and natural resources. 

This continuum includes 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. The award celebrates outstanding initiative and innovation, ingenuity, common sense, and efforts that go above and beyond expectations and deliver results from anywhere within the safeguarding continuum. To see the recipients of past Safeguarding Awards, visit Award Winners and Honorable Mentions.

If you are aware of a project or team that has exemplified PPQ’s mission and commitment to safeguarding and safe trade, please consider nominating them.

Eligibility and Open Period

This year’s award will cover activities occurring between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Eligible nominees include employees of PPQ and our cooperators—ranging from Federal and State governments, Tribal nations, colleges and universities, nonprofit institutions, and industry.

Submission of Nominations

Please follow the instructions on the form closely, clearly answer all questions, and write a compelling story in the narrative section. For a team submission, be sure to include everyone’s full name and affiliation on the nomination form. Keep your nomination narrative concise, but do provide enough jargon-free detail so that someone unfamiliar with the work can readily grasp its significance.

Use the Award Nomination Form and Team Nomination Template below to complete your nomination.

Submit your nomination and any questions about the nomination process to theppqdaac@usda.gov.

Safe Trade Award

The PPQ Deputy Administrator’s Safe Trade Award recognizes exceptional work in safeguarding America’s agricultural and natural resources for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). The basis for the award is the APHIS and PPQ Mission Statements. The award recognizes individuals or teams that contribute to international and regional plant health standards, market access facilitation, market access dispute resolution or other strategic initiatives in support of APHIS/PPQ’s mission. The award celebrates outstanding initiative and innovation; efforts that go above and beyond expectations; common sense and ingenuity; and demonstrated results that support safe trade. 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 promoting safe trade. To see the recipients of past Safe Trade Awards, visit the Award Winners and Honorable Mentions page.

If you are aware of a project or team that has exemplified PPQ’s mission and commitment to safeguarding and safe trade, please consider nominating them.

Eligibility and Open Period

This year’s award will cover activities occurring between January 1 and December 31, 2023. 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.

Submission of Nominations

Please follow the instructions on the form closely, clearly answer all questions, and write a compelling story in the narrative section. For a team submission, be sure to include everyone’s full name and affiliation on the nomination form. Please keep your nomination narrative concise, but do provide enough jargon-free detail so that someone unfamiliar with the work can readily grasp its significance.

Please use the pdf nomination from and Excel Team Nomination Template below to complete your nomination.

Please submit your nomination and any questions regarding the nomination process to: theppqdaac@usda.gov.