Nomination Policies and Procedures
APS leadership establishes the rules and processes involved in nominations for awards, prizes, and honors.
Nominations
Honors in recognition of a given achievement
An individual must not receive more than one Society prize and award, prize, award, or lectureship award for any given work or achievement unless the individual has significantly extended the previously-recognized work or achievements such that further recognition is appropriate.
Nominator limitations
An individual may only participate in one active nomination for a particular prize or award, excluding nominations for APS Fellowship and unit awards. Any individual serving on a selection committee must not participate in any nominations reviewed by the Selection Committee regardless of the nomination’s original submit date. Participating in a nomination is considered serving as a nominator, serving as a co-sponsor, or writing a letter in support of a nomination submitted by another individual. APS membership must not be imposed as a requirement to submit nominations for Society prizes and awards, prizes, and awards.
Consideration period for Society prize and award, prize, award, and lectureship award nominations
Nominations for Society Society prizes and awards, prizes, and awards must be reconsidered in the next nomination cycle, in either the original form or in an updated form, provided the nominator recertifies the nomination prior to the deadline and provided any other eligibility requirements are still met. A nomination not recommended after review by three consecutive selection committees is considered expired and is removed from further consideration, unless a different period is specified in the honor rules. Expired nominees may be renominated.
Consideration period for Fellowship nominations
Nominations for APS Fellowship must be reconsidered in the next nomination cycle, in either the original form or in an updated form, provided the nominator recertifies the nomination prior to the deadline. A nomination not recommended after review by two consecutive selection committees is considered expired and is removed from further consideration. Expired nominees may be renominated.
Team nominations
Multiple individuals may be nominated together as a team for Society Society prizes and awards, prizes, and awards unless otherwise stated in the individual honor rules. Teams should include only primary members who made original and indispensable contributions.
Self nominations
An individual must not be permitted to nominate themselves for Society Society prizes and awards, prizes, and awards, and dissertation awards, except for the Irwin Oppenheim Award.
Posthumous honors
Nominations of known deceased persons must not be considered. Honors may be conferred posthumously if the recipient is approved following Society policies and procedures prior to death.
Frequency of presentation
Honors may be conferred annually, biennially, quadrennially, or not at all if no suitable nominees are available.
Career-stage restrictions
Eligibility for honors may be restricted by an individual’s career stage, typically defined by the number of years since the individual received a terminal degree. Honors with career-stage restrictions must include exceptions for career breaks due to child, dependent, or family care, illness, military service, or similar reasons.
View the full APS policies and procedures governing funding and recognition