MRS Medal Nomination Information

Purpose

The MRS Medal is intended to offer public and professional recognition of an exceptional achievement in materials research in the past ten years.  A medal will be awarded for a major advance or series of closely related advances that is expected to have a major impact on the progress of the relevant materials field.

The Award

Each medal will consist of a $5,000 cash prize, an engraved and mounted medal and a citation certificate. The registration fee and reasonable travel expenses to the MRS meeting where the award presentation is made will be reimbursed.

Administration

The MRS Medal program is managed by the Medal Subcommittee of the MRS Awards Committee. The subcommittee is responsible for soliciting and evaluating nominations annually and recommending nominees to the MRS Board for final approval.

Rules and Eligibility

Nomination for the MRS Medal is open to scientists and engineers who have, within the past 10 years, been responsible for a major advance, or series of closely related advances, in any materials-related field of research. The impact of their materials research upon the relevant materials field will be a primary consideration in making the awards. The medal may recognize such impact within a larger traditional field or in a more specialized or developing field. Preference will generally be given to nominations for work which has not previously received appropriate award recognition. Please note that the MRS Medal is intended to highlight a specific, high-impact achievement or a series of closely related achievements in contrast to other awards whose criteria may often be based on accumulated lifetime achievements.

A nominee need not be a member of the Materials Research Society. Current members of the MRS Medal Award Subcommittee, MRS Board members and previous MRS Medal recipients are not eligible. The selection of the medal recipient must be approved by the MRS Board based upon recommendation from the Awards Committee; the decision of the Board is final. Medals will not be awarded in absentia except in extraordinary circumstances. A Medal will be awarded to one individual for a cited achievement. The recipient will receive a personal medal trophy, registration and travel support. Nominations remain active for three years. Updates may be made by resubmitting all components (updated and original).

Nomination Package Requirements

1. Nominee and Nominator Information  
   Nominator will enter the following into the online form:
   Full name, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number.
     
2. Proposed Citation
   The proposed citation must be less than 30 words and entered into the online form.
   Summarize the achievements upon which the nomination is based, avoiding flowery descriptors.
     
3. Nominator statement (upload PDF file, four pages)
   A statement supporting each candidate's suitability for the award with particular reference to:
   
   a. the specific, crisply defined, recent research achievement which is proposed for recognition
   b. the impact of the achievement within the relevant materials field and its effect on other sciences, and
   c. the innovative and perceptive quality of the candidate's work

4. Curriculum vitae of the nominee, including a list of the candidate's 10 most relevant publications with proper citation, titles and including a citation analysis (upload PDF file/four pages maximum)
    
5. Letters of support from two established scientists familiar with the nominee's qualifications and area of research.
   Each letter must be two pages or less and should make specific reference to the three criteria in item 3 above. Letters should be uploaded to the submission system, or, if absolutely necessary, letters may be sent directly here.  If a letter must be sent separately, you must upload a PDF document file which will include the name letter of support writer, along with email address. This document, as a placeholder, will allow you to make the submission. A letter should be on official letterhead and include the signature of the writer. Each letter should not exceed two pages each.
    
6.  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 pm.