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Innovation in Materials Characterization Award

Purpose

To honor an outstanding advance in materials characterization that notably increases the knowledge of the structure, composition, in situ behavior under outside stimulus, electronic, mechanical, or chemical behavior, or other characterization feature, of materials. It is not limited to the method of characterization or the class of material observed. Impact of the advance on materials research will be the primary consideration in making the award. Nominations for this award may be made for scientists and engineers in all areas of materials research.

MRS acknowledges the generosity of Professors Gwo-Ching Wang and Toh-Ming Lu in endowing this award.

The Award

The annual award consists of a $5,000 cash prize, a presentation trophy, and a certificate. The award is presented annually at the MRS Spring Meeting where the recipient is invited to speak at the Awards Ceremony. Meeting registration fee and transportation and hotel expenses to attend the meeting at which the award is presented will be reimbursed.

Administration

This award is managed by the Innovation in Materials Characterization Award Subcommittee of the MRS Awards Committee. This subcommittee is responsible for soliciting and evaluating nominations annually and for recommending a nominee to the MRS Board for final approval or recommending that no award be made.

Endowers

The Innovation in Materials Characterization Award has been endowed by Dr. Toh-Ming Lu and Dr. Gwo-Ching Wang. 

Rules and Eligibility

Nomination for the Innovation in Materials Characterization Award is open to scientists and engineers in all areas of materials science. Nominees need not be members of the Materials Research Society and nominees of any nationality are eligible. It is expected that the nomination is for a single person. However, since breakthrough innovations often involve more than one individual, the nomination can be for two or three people, maximum.  In the case of multiple nominees, it must be shown that each person contributed roughly equally to the innovation.

The Award will not be bestowed in absentia except in extraordinary circumstances. Current members of the Innovations in Materials Characterization Award Subcommittee, MRS Board members, and previous recipients of the Innovations in Materials Characterization Award are not eligible.

Nomination Package Requirements

The following is required for nomination for the Innovation in Materials Characterization Award:

1. Completed Nomination Summary Form
   Download Form as a Word or PDF document.
   
2. Proposed Citation (< 60 words). Summarize the innovation in characterization upon which the nomination is based, avoiding flowery descriptors.
   
3. A statement by the nominator supporting the candidate’s suitability for the award with respect to:
   
   
   • the specific, clearly defined, recent research innovation in characterization which is proposed for recognition
   • the impact of the innovation within the relevant materials field(s), and its broader contribution to materials science, the originality and “break-through” quality of the innovation.

4. Supporting documentation: Brief CV, including lists of professional appointments held, honors, awards, patents. A separate list of most important publications, including those related to the proposed innovation.
   
5. Names of two well-established scientists familiar with the nominee’s qualifications and area of research of the proposed innovation, who have agreed to send letters supporting the nomination with explicit reference to the criteria listed above in item 3. Letters should be included in the nomination package or, if necessary, letters may be sent directly to awardsprogram@mrs.org.
   
6. The full nomination package, no more than 13 pages, as a Word or PDF document must be in the following order:

• Completed Nomination Form, including Proposed Citation
• Statement by Nominator
• Supporting Documentation (4 pages maximum)
• Letters of Support from two Scientists

Submission Procedure and Deadline

All materials comprising a nomination package, with the exception of support letters, which may be sent separately, should be sent as an attachment and as a single file document in Word or PDF format. Incomplete or late nominations will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the nominators to ensure legibility of the PDF or Word document. Please send the file via e-mail to awardsprogram@mrs.org by October 1.

Documents

• Innovation in Materials Characterization Award Endowers
  Profiles of Dr. Toh-Ming Lu and Dr. Gwo-Ching Wang, who have endowed the Innovation in Materials Characterization Award.