Rules and Eligibility
A nominee must be an early-career scientist or engineer who has contributed in an outstanding and innovative way to the progress of materials research; the work should have a significant interdisciplinary aspect. The nominee shall have contributed to the progress of materials research over a period of no more than 15 years in the year in which the award recipient is announced and the award is presented. Exceptions may be made for an interruption in career progression due to family/medical leave or military service. Final determination on any exceptions will be at the discretion of the Outstanding Early-Career Award Subcommittee. The award is normally presented at the MRS Spring Meeting. A nominee need not be a member of the Materials Research Society, and nominees of any nationality are eligible. Current members of the MRS Outstanding Early-Career Investigator Subcommittee, MRS Board members and previous recipients of the Outstanding Early-Career Investigator Award are not eligible.
The selection of the award winner must be approved by the MRS Board based upon recommendation of the Awards Committee; the decision of the Board is final. The award must be received by the winner in person at an MRS meeting; no award will be made in absentia, except under extraordinary circumstances and at the discretion of the MRS Board.
Administration
The Outstanding Early-Career Investigator Award is managed by the Outstanding Early-Career Investigator Award Subcommittee of the MRS Awards Committee. That subcommittee is responsible for soliciting and evaluating nominations annually and recommending a nominee to the MRS Board for final approval.
Nomination Submission Information
The nomination will be submitted through the MRS Awards Nomination Submission Web site portal. The nominator will use their MRS Customer ID and Login information to access the system. The nomination information required will include:
- Nominee and Nominator Information
Required information below will be entered into the online form:
Full name, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number and nominee date of birth.
- Proposed Citation
The proposed citation must be less than 30 words and entered into the online form. The nominator will provide a summary of the achievements upon which the nomination is based, avoiding flowery descriptors.
- Nominator statement (upload PDF file, two pages maximum) supporting the candidates suitability for the award with regard to:
- innovative and creative nature of the candidate's work
- interdisciplinary character of the candidate's work and,
- potential shown by the candidate as a future leader in materials research
NOTE: If Nominee has had an interruption in career progression due to family or military service, this explanatory statement will be required within the Nominator Statement. You are also required to send an email to [email protected] to receive additional assistance for making a nomination.
- Curriculum vitae of the Nominee, including birthdate and list of key publications and any additional supporting information relevant to the award contribution may also be included. (PDF file, four pages maximum)
Combine the CV file and the list of key publications into one PDF file.
- Two letters of support from established scientists familiar with the nominee's qualifications and area of research. Please use the following guidelines:
- Supporter should make specific reference to the three criteria in item 3 above.
- The letters should be on letterhead and include the signature of supporter.
- Each letter should be submitted as a PDF file and no more than two pages per letter.
Submission Procedure
The portal for submitting an MRS Award nomination will open and close on the published date1 of each award. The nominator will use their MRS website credentials to access the system. Previously submitted nominations may also be updated in the system by using the nominator’s login information. Nominations are active for three years.
Please contact Lorri Smiley should you have technical difficulties or other submission concerns.
NOTE:1 If an Award nomination deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the submission deadline will then default to the following business day at 11:59 p.m.