Nomination Guidelines

Anyone (not a member of the committee making the selection) may submit one nomination or seconding letter for each prize or award in any given year. A nomination should include:

• A letter evaluating the nominee's qualifications in the light of the particular features of the prize or award and identifying the specific work to be recognized. THERE IS NO NOMINATION FORM for prizes and awards, so this letter is considered the nomination "application".
• A biographical sketch (optional).
• A list of the most important publications.
• At least two, but no more than four, seconding letters and up to five reprints or preprints.

The names of each of the prize and award selection committees are available on the APS Prize and Awards website. After a nomination has expired (three consecutive review cycles without being selected for most prizes and awards), a completely new and updated nomination package must be submitted for the nominee to continue to be considered.

Some prizes and awards, particularly the dissertation awards, have other requirements in addition to those listed above, so be sure to check the individual web page description of the prize or award for which you are making a nomination.

A prize shall be presented to recognize outstanding research accomplishments, usually in  particular area, and to provide a substantial stipend. An award may recognize a broader range of achievement and normally provides a more moderate stipend than a prize.

Nominations for a prize or an award shall be opened to all scientists of all nations regardless of the geographic site at which the work was done. Membership in the APS is not required for nomination or selection for a prize or an award.

Nominations are active through three review cycles (3 years for annual prizes or awards; 6 years for biannual ones). Nominations may be updated while still active, but after the third review cycle if the candidate has not been chosen the nomination is dropped. A new nomination may be submitted at that point; there is no waiting period.

Unless it is specifically stated for a particular prize or award, no time limits are set on when the work was done, but emphasis should generally be on recent work of those nominated.

A prize or an award should ordinarily be awarded to a single recipient. In cases where there are multiple recipients, selection committees must submit justification to the APS Executive Board. Selection committees should be sensitive to recognizing only the prime contributors to large team collaborative works, especially those involving more than one institution. Only those who have made original and indispensable contributions should be named as recipients. Some prizes and awards have specific rules regarding the eligibility of multiple recipients.

Recipients should not receive more than one major APS prize or award for the same work. However, the recipient of an APS prize or award can be eligible for another one if it is demonstrated that the previous work has been extended in a significant way or if the new prize recognizes entirely new work. Selection committees, with the assistance of the APS staff, must identify candidates who have received prior APS recognition. In cases where the candidate selected by a prize selection committee has already received any APS award, the selection committee must provide justification for their selection in light of the previous award.

All nominations should be submitted online for each prize. The names of the Prize Selection committee will be posted on the relevant prize page for each prize.

Questions regarding nomination submission may be sent to:

APS Honors Program
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3844
email: honors@aps.org