Nomination Information

Purpose

The Mid-Career Researcher Award recognizes exceptional achievements in materials research made by mid-career professionals. The award recipient must also demonstrate notable leadership in the materials area.

The Mid-Career Researcher Award is made possible through an endowment established by Aldrich Materials Science.

Rules and Eligibility

Nomination for the Mid-Career Researcher Award is open to scientists and engineers who have made exceptional advances in their career and have become recognized leaders in the materials area. Consideration is not limited by class of materials or area of materials research. A recipient must have made exceptional advances in their career over a period of 15 to 27 years at the time the award recipient is announced and the award is presented. Exceptions may be made for an interruption in career progression due to family/leave or military service. The final determination on any exceptions will be at the discretion of the Mid-Career Researcher Award Subcommittee 

A nominee need not be a member of the Materials Research Society. Current members of the MRS Mid-Career Researcher Award Subcommittee, MRS Board members and previous MRS Mid-Career Researcher Award recipients are not eligible. The selection of the Mid-Career Researcher Award winners must be approved by the MRS Board based upon a recommendation from the Awards Committee; the decision of the Board is final. Awards will not be bestowed in absentia except in extraordinary circumstances.

Administration

The award is managed by the Mid-Career Researcher Award Subcommittee of the MRS Awards Committee. The 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:

1. Nominee and Nominator Information 
   Nominator will enter the following into the online form: 
   Full name, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number and nominee date of birth.
     
2. Proposed Citation
   The proposed citation must be less than 30 words and entered into the online form. The nominator will summarize the achievements upon which the nomination is based, avoiding flowery descriptors.
     
3. Nominator statement (upload PDF file, two pages maximum) 
   This statement will include information supporting the candidate's suitability for the award with respect to:

• the specific, clearly defined, recent research achievements which are proposed for recognition
• the impact of the achievements within the relevant materials field, and their effect on other sciences, and
• the indications that the candidate is a recognized leader in the materials area.

4. Curriculum vitae of the nominee (two pages maximum) 
     
5. List of candidate’s 10 most relevant publications with proper citation, titles and including a citation analysis (one page maximum). 
     
6. 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.
• Letters must be formatted as a PDF file; two pages maximum for each letter

Submission Procedure and Deadline 

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.