Facility Guidelines Institute and The Center for Health Design Announce the Douglas S. Erickson Health Care Research Award
FLORENCE, MA. – The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and The Center for Health Design (The Center) are proud to announce the inauguration of the Douglas S. Erickson Health Care Research Award. This prestigious award underscores the long-term commitment of both organizations to advancing the body of research related to health care design. Named in honor of Doug Erickson, FASHE, a visionary leader and former CEO of FGI, the award reflects his enduring legacy in shaping safer and more effective health care environments.
The Douglas S. Erickson Research Award is designed to inspire and support groundbreaking research that strengthens the foundation of health and residential care design. By fostering collaboration and encouraging innovative thinking, the award is positioned to drive research that has a direct impact on patient outcomes, enhance the safety and satisfaction of health care professionals, and inform the ongoing development of the FGI Facility Codes (formerly known as the Guidelines for Design and Construction).
The Douglas S. Erickson Research Award seeks to:
- Advance research by promoting studies that deepen the understanding of how design influences health and residential care environments.
- Enhance knowledge by improving awareness of how design choices affect patient outcomes and staff safety.
- Inform FGI Facility Codes by expanding the role of evidence-based research in shaping future editions.
- Encourage collaboration by fostering active participation in the FGI Facility Codes revision process.
Beginning in June 2026, FGI and The Center will open a request for proposals application process, inviting submissions from individuals in both the public and private sectors with a demonstrated interest in health and residential care design. Successful applicants will be expected to produce a peer-reviewed manuscript, present their findings to the Health Guidelines Revision Committee, share insights at an ASHE PDC Summit, and complete a Key Point Summary to be included in The Center’s Knowledge Repository.
The award will be presented every four years, in alignment with the FGI Facility Code revision cycle. Proposals contributing significantly to the knowledge base supporting the FGI Facility Code will be prioritized. The inaugural recipient(s) will be announced in October 2026, with research commencing in January 2027.
To ensure the long-term success of this initiative, FGI is actively accepting donations to fund the Douglas S. Erickson Health Care Research Award. Learn more and contribute at https://fgiguidelines.org/douglas-s-erickson-health-care-research-award/.
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About the Facility Guidelines Institute
Founded in 1998, the Facility Guidelines Institute is a not-for-profit corporation founded to provide leadership and continuity to the Guidelines/FGI Facility Code revision process. FGI functions as the coordinating entity for development of the Guidelines/FGI Facility Code documents using a multidisciplinary, consensus-based process and for provision of ancillary services that encourage and improve their application and use.
About The Center for Health Design
For over 30 years the non-profit Center for Health Design has led and empowered current and future healthcare owners, clinicians, architects, designers, product & solution providers and other stakeholders in an industry-wide endeavor to maximize health through informed design.
By providing research, education and community-building to over 30,000 professionals worldwide, The Center drives measurable improvements in health, safety and business outcomes through evidence-based design of the built environment. Explore The Center’s resources, tools and learning opportunities at www.healthdesign.org.
About the Guidelines for Design and Construction/FGI Facility Code Documents
The Guidelines for Design and Construction/FGI Facility Code documents are updated every four years to keep pace with new concepts, capabilities, and technologies in the delivery of health and residential care. The Guidelines/FGI Facility Code documents are used by states, through adoption by reference, to regulate health and residential care facility design and construction. FGI relies on revenue from sales of the documents to fund research and the activities of the HGRC for the next revision cycle. The Guidelines/FGI Facility Code documents are protected by copyright and authorized licenses and paperbacks are available exclusively at https://shop.fgiguidelines.org.