Graduate Student Awards

MRS Graduate Student Awards are intended to honor and encourage graduate students whose academic achievements and current materials research display a high level of excellence and distinction. MRS seeks to recognize students of exceptional ability who show promise for significant future achievement in materials research. Information regarding upcoming Graduate Student Awards is available below.

Application Information

2025 MRS Spring Meeting Graduate Student Award Applications will be accepted September 30 - November 13, 2024. Upon review of applications, the selected Graduate Student Award finalists will present their research, based on their abstract as submitted and accepted for the 2025 MRS Spring Meeting.

Award Package

Gold and Silver Awards will be announced on the MRS Website and in the MRS Bulletin. The prizes consist of $400 and a certificate and pin for the Gold Awards, and $200 and a certificate and pin for the Silver Awards.

Arthur Nowick Graduate Student Award

A newly endowed award, the Arthur Nowick Graduate Student Award, which honors the late Dr. Arthur Nowick and his lifelong commitment to teaching and mentoring students in materials science, will be presented to a GSA finalist who shows particular promise as a future teacher and mentor. This prize consists of $500 and a presentation plaque. 

MRS acknowledges the generous contribution for the Nowick Award to the MRS Foundation from Joan Nowick in memory of her husband Dr. Arthur Nowick.

Rules & Eligibility

The applicant must be:

  • an author or co-author of an abstract submitted for oral or poster presentation during the upcoming MRS meeting specified on the current application
  • in good standing in a recognized academic graduate degree program*

*Applicants must be current students. Exceptions are made for individuals who have completed their graduate studies and successfully defended their doctoral dissertation, or who have received their final graduate degree, during the four months prior to the MRS meeting provided they are presenting research that was performed as part of their graduate studies. Individuals who have received their final graduate degree (according to actual the date on the diploma) more than four months in advance of the upcoming MRS meeting are not eligible to apply.
 
Previous MRS Gold Award recipients are ineligible.

GSA Submission Information

Download General Guidelines and Submission Information (PDF) for the Graduate Student Awards.

Questions may be directed to the  Graduate Student Award Administrator.

List of All Graduate Student Award Recipients