The National Medal of Science is awarded to individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding cumulative contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or behavioral or social sciences in service to the Nation. These broad areas include astronomy, chemistry, computer and information science and engineering, geoscience, materials research, and research on STEM education.
Please note the following eligibility guidelines:
- Only individuals are eligible for a National Medal of Science.
- You cannot nominate yourself or an immediate family member.
- Nominees must bea U.S. citizen or national,or a permanent resident who is applying for U.S. citizenship.
- Deceased nominees are eligible for the award until the fifth anniversary of the day of their death.
- Nobel Prize winners are eligible for awards and are evaluated according to the same considerations as nominees who have not received a Nobel Prize.
Nominations will be carried over for a period of three calendar years, including the year of nomination. After that time, it is possible to re-nominate an individual for consideration, if they are still eligible.
The President's Committee on the National Medal of Science has established the following considerations for selection of candidates:
- The impact of the nominee's body of work on the current state of their field of science or engineering.
- Whether the nominee's achievements are of an unusually significant nature in relation to the potential effects on the development of thought in their field of science or engineering.
- Whether the nominee has demonstrated unusually distinguished service in the general advancement of science or engineering for the nation, especially when accompanied by substantial contributions to the content of science.
- The recognition of the nominee by peers within their community, and whether they are recognized for substantial impact in fields in addition to their discipline.
- Whether the nominee has made contributions to innovation and industry.
- Whether the nominee has demonstrated sustained influence on education through publications, teaching activities, outreach, mentoring, or other activities.
- Whether the nominee's contributions have had a significant positive impact on the nation.
Terms Expire December 31, 2024
- May R. Berenbaum
Professor and Head – Entomology
Professor – Plant Biology
Swanlund Chair
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Biography - Craig Partridge
Chair, Department of Computer Science
College of Natural Resources
Colorado State University
Biography - Padma Raghavan
Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
Chief Research Officer, and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science
Vanderbilt University
Biography - Valerie Montgomery Rice
President and CEO
Morehouse School of Medicine
Biography
Terms Expire December 31, 2025
- Joan Elise Ferrini-Mundy
President
University of Maine
Biography - Pedro A. Sanchez
Research Professor
University of Florida
Biography - Robert Mckinley Sellers
Vice Provost for Equity & Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
Charles D. Moody Collegiate Professor of Psychology and Professor of Education
University of Michigan
Biography - Ellen Stofan
Under Secretary for Science and Research
Smithsonian Institution
Biography - Cherese Winstead Casson
Associate Professor, Chair
Chemistry
College of Agriculture Science and Technology
Delaware State University
Biography
Terms Expire December 31, 2026
- Rafael L. Bras
K. Harrison Brown Family Chair and Professor
Water Resources Engineering
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Biography - Erika Gabriela Gonzalez
CEO and President
South Texas Allergy & Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP) andSTAAMP Clinical Research
Biography - Juan Maldacena
Carl P. Feinberg Professor
School of Natural Sciences
Institute of Advanced Study
Biography - Cora Marrett, Chair of the Committee
Member, Board of Visitors
Professor Emerita
Department of Sociology
University of Wisconsin
Biography
Ex officio members:
Nomination Tips for the National Medal of Science
from the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science (PCNMS)
The PCNMS crafted the following tips for nominators to consider in developing the nomination packages. The tips are meant to help you prepare a package that will enable the Committee to evaluate how well the nominee meets the Award Selection Considerations.
1. The PCNMS has the challenge of selecting a small set of candidates for consideration by the White House, from a (typically) large number of nominations. Virtually all the nominees are leaders in science and the PCNMS is faced with the difficult task of determining who among the nominees should be recommended for consideration. The quality of the nomination package can profoundly impact the PCNMS’ ability to properly assess a nominee. Nominators should invest the time to craft a nomination that clearly sets out the nominee’s impact, achievements, and service to their field and to the nation.
2. As described in the Overview, the disciplines represented by the award cover a wide range of subject-matters. One consequence is that some nominees may specialize in an area of science not well-represented on the PCNMS. Nominators should write the nomination to be straightforwardly understood by scientists who are not necessarily experts in the nominee’s discipline.
3. The National Medal of Science is a national award. Furthermore, laureates of the National Medal of Science can have a strong impact on advancing and strengthening the diversity of the science and engineering enterprise in the United States. The PCNMS looks for the nomination to demonstrate significant positive impact on the United States that can reasonably be attributed to the nominee.
4. The National Medal of Science represents a cumulative achievement award for the candidate, rather than an award for a specific discovery or action. It may be useful to have the narrative statement and letters of reference address different aspects of the nominee’s accomplishments to convey the broad scope of the nominee’s contributions to science and society.
5. Nominations should highlight accomplishments across the span of the candidate’s career to date. If significant accomplishments include co-discovery or team accomplishments, the committee suggests that one or more of the reference letters be from a collaborator on the significant accomplishment(s).
The following bullet points describe the National Medal of Science nomination form. We encourage you to review the eligibility guidelines, award selection considerations, and nomination tips in preparing your nomination. The information that needs to be entered includes nominee contact information, nominee history (education, positions held, honors), a proposed citation, nominator information, a narrative statement regarding the nominee's work (limited to three pages), up to 10 publications or patents, and three to five reference writers.
Nomination information
- First Name
- Middle Name (optional)
- Last Name
- Organization
- Phone Number
- Address
- Major Discipline
- Secondary Discipline (optional)
Education, positions held, honors and awards, proposed citation
- Between one and six of the nominee's degrees
- Positions held by the nominee
- Honors and awards received
- A proposed citation up to 45 words
Nominator information
- First Name
- Middle Name (optional)
- Last Name
- Title
- Organization
- City
- State
- Phone Number
Narrative statement
Provide a narrative statement that addresses why the nominee is “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or social and behavioral sciences,in service to the Nation.” These broad areas include such disciplines as astronomy, chemistry, computer and information science and engineering, geoscience, materials research, and research on STEM education.
The statement may be entered directly into the platform (limited to 1600 words) or uploaded as a PDF (limited to THREE pages).
Publications & patents
List 10 publications or patents for the nominee and include a short one-sentence commentary explaining the impact of each.
References
Three to five reference writers may contribute to the nomination. Three of the reference writers must not be from the nominee's home institution. The nomination system will automatically send an email to these reference writers and provide them with a unique link to upload their letter of recommendation. Letters of reference are limited to TWO pages.
Submit information
You may submit the nomination if you have completed the nomination forms and agree with the statement:
The information on this nomination is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, and will be used and disclosed to reviewers and possibly members of the National Science Board in connection with the selection of qualified applicants.
Note: you may submit the nomination in advance of receiving all the letters of reference. However, you may wish to continue to engage with the letter writers to ensure all letters of reference are submitted.
Once submitted, nominations cannot be modified.
Disclosure Statement: The information requested on this nomination is solicited under the authority of the NSF Act of 1950, as amended, and will be used and disclosed to reviewers and the National Science Board in connection with the selection of qualified applicants.
