Potential U.S. Federal Government Shutdown: Research Continuity Guidance

Cornell University’s researchers and scholars consistently translate discovery into a meaningful and measurable impact that is changing the world for the better. The Vice President for Research and Innovation and the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Development (OSP) are committed to helping Cornell faculty members receive the formal recognition they have earned.

Please contact the Research Development office for assistance with nomination letters. 

If you win a prize/award/fellowship, complete the Award Received Notification Form to let us know so that the Cornell University community may celebrate with you.

Email Research Development.
 
Questions about nominations or awards? Know of an award not currently on our list? Contact Research Development.

 

The following is a list of some of the most prestigious national and international awards for which our faculty may be nominated.

  • For Cornell’s highest priority awards, OSP will support the nomination process by assisting the nominator and faculty nominee in assembling the required materials.
  • For all other awards, OSP will regularly share information about upcoming nomination deadlines and internal limited nomination competitions.

Newly awarded winners will be celebrated with profiles outlining their accomplishments and the names of previous Cornell recipients of many of these awards are listed in the below program summaries. Together, we can accomplish great things.

Multidisciplinary Awards

The Thomas Jefferson Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is the Society's highest award for the arts, humanities and social sciences.

  • Up to two nominations may be made by the president of each institution.

The Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program comprises approximately forty distinguished lecturing, distinguished research and distinguished lecturing/research awards ranging from three to 12 months. Awards in the Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program are viewed as among the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program.

  • Various awards available and the application process is different for each.
  • For the core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, August 1st is the typical application deadline.

Recent Cornell Recipients

Wendy Wolford, 2017

Jonathan Ochshorn, 2016

Colin Parrish, 2016

The Humboldt Research Award is granted in recognition of a researcher's entire achievements to date to academics whose fundamental discoveries, new theories or insights have had a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future. Award winners are invited to spend a period of up to one year cooperating on a long-term research project with specialist colleagues at a research institution in Germany. The stay may be divided up into blocks.

  • Nominations may be submitted online by established academics in Germany. Nominations may also be initiated by award winners of the Humboldt Foundation working abroad, provided that the nomination is made jointly with a colleague working in Germany. Direct applications are not accepted. Accepted on an ongoing basis; selection committee meets two to three times per year.
  • Nominations may be submitted online at any time - Nominate Colleague.

Cornell Recipients

Steven D. Tanksley, 1998

The Japan Prize is awarded annually to scientists and engineers from around the world who have made significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology, thereby furthering the cause of peace and the prosperity of mankind. Each year, two fields of scientific endeavors are honored. The Japan Prize laureates receive a certificate of merit and a prize medal.

  • The foundation calls for over 15,000 nominators, strictly comprised of prominent scientists and researchers from around the world invited by the Foundation, to nominate the candidates through the web by JPNS (Japan Prize Nomination System).
  • Closing date for nominations is the end of January for following year. Every November, the Field Selection Committee of The Japan Prize Foundation designates and announces two fields in which the Japan Prize will be awarded two years hence.

Cornell Recipients

Steven D. Tanksley, 2016

Often characterized as “midcareer” awards, Guggenheim Fellowships are intended for individuals who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. Guggenheim Fellowships are grants to selected individuals made for a minimum of six months and a maximum of 12 months. Approximately 200 Fellowships are awarded each year.

  • Self nomination. The Foundation receives between 3,500 and 4,000 applications each year. Although no one who applies is guaranteed success in the competition, there is no pre-screening: all applications are reviewed.
  • Approximate deadline is September 17.

Cornell Recipients

Paul Friedland, David Yearsley - 2018

Edward Baptist, Ishion Hutchinson - 2017

Natalie Mahowald, 2013

Simone Pinet, 2010

Eva Tardos, 1999

The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1945 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. The awards are sometimes referred to as "America's Nobels". Lasker Award has gained a reputation for identifying future winners of the Nobel Prize. The different awards are as follows:

  • Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award: For a fundamental discovery that opens up a new area of biomedical science.
  • Lasker DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award: For a major advance that improves the lives of many thousands of people.
  • Lasker Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science: For research accomplishments and scientific statesmanship that engender the deepest feelings of awe and respect.

Colleagues familiar with the nominee(s)'s work and with the relevant field of research (or area of public service) are ideal nominators. Self-nominations or nominations written by the candidates themselves will not be considered by the Jury.

The MacArthur Fellows Program awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction. Although nominees are reviewed for their achievements, the fellowship is not a reward for past accomplishment, but rather an investment in a person's originality, insight, and potential. Indeed, the purpose of the MacArthur Fellows Program is to enable recipients to exercise their own creative instincts for the benefit of human society.

  • The Fellows Program does not accept applications or unsolicited nominations. Nominees are brought to the Program's attention through a constantly changing pool of invited external nominators chosen from as broad a range of fields and areas of interest as possible.

Recent Cornell Recipients

Deborah Estrin, 2018

Will Dichtel, 2015

Craig Fennie, Sheila Nirenberg - 2013

National Humanities Center Fellowships support individuals advancing research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences or both. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions or other scholarly resources in the humanities. Projects may be at any stage of development.

  • Applicants will be asked to complete an online application form and to upload the following documents: 1,000-word project proposal, short bibliography, curriculum vitae, and a one-page tentative outline of the structure of the project. Online submissions are processed via grants.gov
  • Online application system is open at the beginning of July; application deadline including the reference letters is mid-October.

The acclaimed Wolf Prize is an annual award of $100,000 to outstanding scientists and artists from around the world for achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples. The prize laureates are selected by international Jury Committees of world-renowned professionals from all over the world.

  • Nominations are by invitation only. Those wishing to submit a nomination should contact the Wolf office. Self-nominations are not permitted.
  • The submission system opens at the beginning of April. Deadline for nominations is approximately mid-September.

Cornell Recipients

Lewis C. Cantley, 2016 Wolf Prize in Medicine

Robert Langer, 2013, Wolf Prize in Chemistry

Steven D. Tanksley, 2004 Wolf Prize in Agriculture

The World Food Prize has come to be known as the "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture" and aims to recognize and inspire breakthrough achievements in feeding the world. This $250,000 prize is awarded to individuals who have improved the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

  • Any academic institution, private or public organization, or governmental unit may submit a nomination for the World Food Prize. Nominate a colleague.
  • Nomination deadline is in May.

Recent Cornell Recipients

Jan Low, 2016

Early Career Faculty Awards

The Beckman Young Investigators is intended to provide research support to the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of academic careers in the chemical and life sciences particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open up new avenues of research in science.

  • The first step is submitting a Letter of Intent describing the project and rationale. Candidates invited to apply are then notified and given further information.
  • Letters of intent are due in September. Candidates invited to apply in December and award are announced in July.

Recent Cornell Recipients

Jeremy Baskin, 2017

Pamela Chang, 2017

The Cottrell Scholar Award develops outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their academic leadership skills. The Cottrell Scholar Award provides entry into a national community of outstanding scholar-educators who produce significant research and educational outcomes.

  • Potential applicants begin the submission process by completing the online eligibility quiz. If eligible, applicants gain access to a web page containing the pre-proposal application form and instructions for electronic submission. Only applicants with successful pre-proposals are invited to submit Cottrell Scholar proposals and are given access to full proposal application forms. Submissions must conform to guidelines and directions, and be endorsed by the applicant's home institution.
  • Application portal opens in February. Pre-proposals due in April. Invitations for full proposals sent in May

Cornell Recipients

Song Lin, 2020

Justin Wilson, 2019

Nandini Ananth, 2016

Kyle Shen, 2010

Rachel Bean, 2008

Melissa Hines, 1997

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.

  • Only Assistant Professors without tenure are eligible to apply.
  • Applications are due in July.

Recent Cornell Recipients

Nozomi Ando, Shiri Azenkot, Robert DiStasio, Margaret Frank,
Daniel Halpern-Leistner, Malte Jung, Jeffrey Moses, Andrej Singer, Madeleine Udell - 2020

Jayadev Acharya, Ifeoma Ajunwa, Sid Banerjee, Christina Delimitrou, Nathan Kallus,
Kathryn Mann, Karola Meszaros, Adrian Sampson, Inna Zakharevich, Malte Ziewitz - 2019

Steven Adie, Yoav Artzi, Cristian Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil, Nicola Dell,
Brett Fors, Damian Helbling, Song Lin, Matthew Paszek, Jamol Pender, Brad Ramshaw,
Karthik Sridharan, Fei Wang, Justin Wilson - 2018

*Limited Submission* Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering provide the nation's most promising early-career scientists and engineers with flexible funding and the freedom to take risks and explore new frontiers in their fields of study. *

  • Up to two nominations may be made by Cornell University's President. Faculty must first apply to Cornell's internal selection process.
  • To be eligible for this program, faculty members must be in the first three years of their faculty careers.
  • Nominations are requested in January of each year from the presidents of 50 universities selected by the Advisory Panel. 

Cornell Recipients

Peter McMahon, 2021

Kirstin Petersen, 2019

Ilana Brito, 2017

Elaine Shi, 2015

Lena F. Kourkoutis, 2014

Peter McIntyre, 2011

Adam Siepel, 2007

Z. Jane Wang, 2002

Geoffrey W. Coates, 2000

Jon M. Kleinberg, 1999

Daniel Ralph, 1997

Gregory B. Martin, 1995

Nicholas L. Abbott, 1994

J.C. Seamus Davis, 1994

Paul L. McEuen, 1992

Eva Tardos, 1990

Veit Elser, 1989

The PECASE Awards are intended to recognize some of the finest scientists and engineers who, while early in their research careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the twenty-first century. The PECASE Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. Individuals cannot apply for PECASE. These awards are initiated by the participating federal agencies. Participating agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Education, National Institutes of Health, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Science Foundation.


Recent Cornell Recipients

Thomas Hartman; Jenny Kao-Kniffin; Kin Fai Mak; Rebecca Slayton, 2019

Kenong Xu; Lena Kourkoutis, 2016

Gregory Fuchs, 2013

Noah Snavely; A. Kevin Tang, 2012

Salman Avestimehr; David Erickson; John C. March; Kyle Shen, 2011

Rachel Bean, 2010

The Rome Prize is awarded to support innovative and cross-disciplinary work in the arts and humanities. Each year, the prize is awarded to about thirty artists and scholars who represent the highest standard of excellence and who are in the early or middle stages of their careers.

Fellows are chosen from the following prize fields: Architecture, Design, Historic Preservation and Conservation, Landscape Architecture, Literature, Musical Composition, Visual Arts, Ancient Studies, Medieval Studies, Renaissance and Early Modern Studies, Modern Italian Studies.

  • Applicants must be United States citizens at the time of application.
  • Applications must be submitted by November 1.

Cornell Recipients

Ishion Hutchinson, 2018

*Limited Submission* The Sloan Research Fellowships seek to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise. These two-year fellowships are awarded yearly to 126 researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field. The fellowships support early-career faculty members’ original research and education related to science, technology, mathematics and economics.

  • Cornell may nominate up to 3 faculty per department. Candidates must speak with their department Chair if they wish to be nominated. 
  • Nominations open in summer and must be submitted by mid-September.

Recent Cornell Recipients

Pamela Chang, Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz, Daniel Halpern-Leistner, Peter McMahon - 2022

Rachit Agarwal, Sasha Rush, Katherine Tschida, Madeleine Udell - 2021

Damek Davis, Christina Delimitrou, Robert DiStasio - 2020

Jeremy Baskin, Song Lin, Brad Ramshaw - 2019

Brett Fors, Karthik Sridharan, Jin Suntivich - 2018

Ilana Brito, Guillaume Lambert, Kyle Lancaster, Nilay Yapici - 2017

David Mimno, Yimon Aye - 2016

Nandini Ananth, Melissa Warden, Amy Williams - 2015

The Talcott Parsons Prize is awarded for contributions to the social sciences (broadly defined). An effort is made to rotate the prize among the various social science disciplines, including law, history, and linguistics.

All Career Faculty Awards

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences membership encompasses over 4,600 Fellows and 600 Foreign Honorary Members and reflects the full range of disciplines and professions: mathematics, the physical and biological sciences, medicine, the social sciences and humanities, business, government, public affairs and the arts. Among the Academy's Fellows are more than 250 Nobel laureates and 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.

  • Annually, Academy members receive a call for nominations. Each candidate for membership must have two nominators who are already members. The nominators must be from different institutions from each other and at least one must be from the United States.

Cornell Members

Anthony Bretscher

Valerie Bunce

Stephen Ceci

Stephen Coate

Geoffrey Coates

Joseph Fins

Maria Cristina Garcia

Thomas Gilovich

Harry Greene

Sandra Greene

Sol Gruner

David Hajjar

Joseph Halpern

Maureen Hanson

Ronald Hoy

Kenneth Kemphues

Gary Koretzky

John Lis

Paul McEuen

Suzanne Mettler

Karl Niklas

Laurent Saloff-Coste

Fred Schneider

Roberto Sierra 

Steven Strogatz

Sandra Vehrencamp

Kelly Zamudio

The purpose of the National Award in Analytical Chemistry is to recognize and encourage outstanding contributions to the science of analytical chemistry, pure or applied, carried out in the United States or Canada. A nominee must have made an outstanding contribution to analytical chemistry. Special consideration is given to independence of thought and originality, or to the importance of the work when applied to public welfare, economics, or the needs and desires of humanity. 

  • Nominations are due November 1, annually.

Recent Cornell Recipients

Héctor Abruña, 2021

The ACLS Fellowships program invites research applications in all disciplines of the humanities and related social sciences. The ultimate goal of the project should be a major piece of scholarly work by the applicant. ACLS does not fund creative work (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translation, or pedagogical projects. ACLS Fellowships are intended to help scholars devote six to twelve continuous months to full-time research and writing. The awards are portable and are tenable at any appropriate site for research. 

  • Applications are submitted online including two reference letters.
  • September deadline for applications; notifications in February.
  • Other ACLS Competitions

Recent Cornell Recipients

Lucinda Ramberg, Ding Xiang Warner - 2020

Paul Friedland, Stacey Langwick, Aaron Sachs - 2018

Edward Baptist, 2017

Anne Blackburn, 2015

Lori Khatchadourian, 2013

The AERA Fellows Program honors education researchers for their exceptional contributions to, and excellence in, education research. The program is intended to be inclusive of the scholarship that constitutes and enriches education research as an interdisciplinary field.

  • Fellows are nominated by their peers. Either the nominator or one of the endorsers of a nominee must be an AERA Fellow. Nominators and endorsers may be from the same institution as a nominee. Members of the AERA Fellows Committee are not eligible to serve as nominators or endorsers. Self-nominations will not be accepted. Two persons should not knowingly nominate each other. 
  • Nominations are due in September.

APS Prizes, Awards and Dissertation Awards:

APS prizes and awards recognize outstanding achievements in research, education and public service. With few exceptions, they are open to all members of the scientific community in the U.S. and abroad. The nomination and selection procedure, involving APS-appointed selection committees, guarantees their high standards and prestige.

APS Fellowship:

Fellowship is a distinct honor signifying recognition by one's professional peers. Any active APS member is eligible for nomination and election to APS Fellowship. The criterion for election is exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise; e.g., outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education


Recent Cornell Recipients

Matthias Liepe, James Sethna, Huili Grace Xing - 2019

Lawrence Kidder, 2018

Georg Hoffstaetter, Debdeep Jena - 2017

Rachel Bean, Csaba Csáki, Mingming Wu - 2016

Craig Fennie, 2015

Fernando Escobedo, Erich Mueller, Steven Strogatz, Z. Jane Wang - 2014

Christopher Ober, 2013

Joel Brock, 2012

David Muller, 2011

Frank Wise, 2010

The A.M. Turning Award is the Association for Computing Machinery's most prestigious technical award (sometimes referred to as the 'Nobel Prize of Computing') is given for major contributions of lasting importance to computing.

  • Nominations are submitted online including two reference letters. Nominate Colleague.
  • Nominations are due in January.

Cornell Recipients

Juris Hartmanis, 1993

John Hopcroft, 1986

The Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science, presented through the Franklin Institute, is presented annually to a distinguished member of the international scientific community for work in a prescribed discipline that changes each year. The award includes a $250,000 cash prize. 

  • Nominations from any individual or organization will be accepted, including self-nominations. Nominations of candidates traditionally underrepresented in science are particularly encouraged.
  • Letters of Intent due in October. Completed nominations (including four confidential letters of support) due in December.

The Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Science is awarded to an individual in a selected area of chemistry to recognize exceptional and original research that has advanced the field in a major way. The prize is awarded biennially and consists of a monetary award of $250,000, a medal and a certificate.

  • The prize is open to international nominations. There is no restriction on the number of nominees from a given institution, nor is institutional approval required. Any person may nominate a candidate for the Dreyfus Prize. Self-nominations are not accepted.
  • Nomination deadline is December - Nominate Colleague.

The Academy’s most distinctive feature is its membership of over 850 Fellows. These Fellows are public managers and scholars, business executives and labor leaders, current and former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators and diplomats.  Individually, Fellows provide unparalleled insight and experience.  Collectively, they are the Academy’s primary vehicle for addressing current and emerging issues and contributing to the intellectual and popular discourse on government.  

  • Fellows elect new members of the Academy each year in the Spring.

The goal of the Ford Foundation Senior Fellowship program is to provide funding for selected Ford Fellows to conduct innovative research that addresses the overall goals and mission of moving the Ford Foundation forward. Fellows receive an annual stipend of $80,000 will be pro-rated according to the length of the approved work plan, as well as a separate travel stipend.

  • The program is open to individuals who have previously held a Ford Foundation Predoctoral, Dissertation or Postdoctoral Fellowship and currently hold a faculty appointment at an accredited U.S. academic institution. Applicants must have held the Ph.D./Sc.D. for at least seven years at the time of application. Fellowship duration is between 6 and 12 months. 
  • Applications are accepted  November 1 through January 31.

The Fields Medal is awarded every four years on the occasion of the International Congress of Mathematicians to recognize outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement. Regarded as one of the highest honors a mathematician can receive and has been described as the mathematician's "Nobel Prize."

  • Nominations are emailed to the prize committee chairs. Nominations are confidential and must not be disclosed to the candidate. Self-nominations are strongly discouraged. The Fields Medal is awarded to an individual mathematician whose 40th birthday must not occur before January 1st of the year of the ICM at which the Fields Medals are awarded.

Cornell Recipients

William Thurston, 1982

The Jefferson Science Fellows Program engages the American academic science, technology, engineering and medical communities in the design and implementation of U.S. foreign policy and international development.

The JSF program is open to tenured, or similarly ranked, faculty from U.S. institutions of higher learning who are U.S. citizens. After successfully obtaining a security clearance, selected Jefferson Science Fellows spend one year on assignment at the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) serving as advisers on issues of foreign policy or international development. Assignments are tailored to the needs of the hosting office, while taking into account the Fellows’ interests and areas of expertise. Following the fellowship year, Fellows will return to their academic career but remain available to the U.S. government as experienced consultants for short-term projects.

  • The application period opens in early August and closes on October 31.

Cornell Recipients

David P. Hajjar, 2014

Peter Davies, 2011

Timothy DeVoogd, 2009

Syed Rizvi, 2007

The National Academy of Education is an honorific society consisting of U.S. members and international associates who are elected on the basis of outstanding scholarship related to education. Founded in 1965, the mission of NAEd is to advance high-quality education research and its use in policy formulation and practice. Members and international associates provide pro bono service on committees that address pressing issues in education. In addition, Academy members and other scholars are also deeply engaged in NAEd professional development programs focused on preparing the next generation of education researchers.

  • The Academy accepts membership nominations annually. Only current members are eligible to submit nominations.

Cornell Members

Charles Brainerd

Stephen Ceci

Ronald Ehrenberg

Robert Sternberg

Kenneth Strike

 Election to National Academy of Engineering membership is one of the highest professional honors accorded an engineer. Members have distinguished themselves in business and academic management, in technical positions, as university faculty, and as leaders in government and private engineering organizations.

  • Nominations may be submitted by anyone, but self-nominations are not allowed. Members are elected to NAE membership by current members.

Cornell Members

Nicholas Abbott

Lynden Archer

Wilfried Brutsaert

Harold Craighead

Brenda Dietrich

Deborah Estrin

Donald Greenberg

Joseph Halpern

Juris Hartmanis

John Hopcroft

 Jon Kleinberg

Sidney Leibovich

Daniel Loucks

Francis Moon

Thomas O'Rourke

Jean-Yves Parlange

Stephen Pope

Darrell Schlom

Fred Schneider

Norman Scott

Christine Shoemaker

Jery Russell Stedinger

Eva Tardos

Michael Todd

Watt Webb

The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors. The program has 1,228 Fellows worldwide representing more than 250 prestigious universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes.

Among all NAI Fellows, there are over 137 presidents and senior leaders of research universities, governmental and non-profit research institutes; 556 members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; 42 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame; 63 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and U.S. National Medal of Science; and 38 Nobel Laureates, among other awards and distinctions.

  • Self-nominations are not permitted. Nominations open in April and are submitted by current NAI Fellows, due on July 31 each year.

Cornell Recipients

Lewis Cantley, 2019

Chih-Chang Chu, 2018

Geoffrey Coates, 2017

Francis Barany, David Fischell - 2016

Edward Wolf, 2015

Harold Craighead, Chris Xu - 2014

The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 under the name Institute of Medicine (IOM), is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social and behavioral sciences; and beyond. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM elects no more than 90 regular members and 10 international members annually. For those at the top of their field, NAM membership reflects the height of professional achievement and commitment to service.

  • The election of individuals to the National Academy of Medicine begins with a confidential nomination by two NAM members who are well acquainted with the candidate’s work. In sponsoring the nomination, the NAM member affirms his or her personal assessment that the candidate meets the NAM’s primary criterion of excellence and outstanding professional achievement in a field relevant to the mission of the NAM.
  • The annual nomination cycle begins on November 1 and closes on February 1. Once elected, members are also eligible for a number of awards.

Cornell Members

Jack Barchas

M. Flint Beal

Lewis Cantley

Augustine M.K. Choi

Deborah Estrin

Joseph Fins

Cutberto Garza

Antonio Gotto

Rainu Kaushal

Gary Koretzky

Francis Lee

Ralph Nachman

Carl Nathan

Jean Pape

Steven Paul

Valerie Reyna

Andrew Schafer

Rosemary Stevens

Harold Varmus

Members are elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. Current NAS membership totals approximately 2,400 members and 500 international members, of which approximately 190 have received Nobel prizes.

  • Membership is achieved by election-there is no membership application process. Only Academy members may submit formal nominations. Consideration of a candidate begins with his or her nomination, followed by an extensive and careful vetting process that results in a final ballot at the Academy's annual meeting in April each year. Currently, a maximum of 120 members may be elected annually. Members must be U.S. citizens; non-citizens are elected as international members, with a maximum of 30 elected annually.
  • Awards nominations are due in October.

Cornell Members

Héctor Abruña

N. W. Ashcroft

Lewis Cantley

Andrew Clark

Geoffrey Coates

Francis DiSalvo

Scott Emr

Maureen Hanson

Maria Harrison

Juris Hartmanis

Martha Haynes

Roald Hoffmann

John Hopcroft

Jon Kleinberg

Catherine Kling

John Lis

Jonathan Lunine

Susan McCouch

Paul McEuen

Fred McLafferty

N. David Mermin

June Nasrallah

Carl Nathan

Prabhu Pingali

Robert Pohl

John Reppy

Jeffrey Roberts

Wendell Roelofs

Harold Scheraga

Eva Tardos

Saul Teukolsky

Maury Tigner

Harold Varmus

Watt Webb

Benjamin Widom

Mariana Wolfner

The National Medal of Science is the Nation's highest honor for American scientists and engineers. The medal is awarded to individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their understanding cumulative contributions to knowledge in the chemical, physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or behavioral or social sciences, in combination with exemplary service to the Nation. Ideal nominations make a strong case for scientific or engineering achievement as well as broader impacts in promoting the progress of science; advancing the national health, prosperity, and welfare; securing the national defense; and other purposes.

A Committee of 12 scientists and engineers is appointed by the President to evaluate the nominees for the Award. Since its establishment, the National Medal of Science has been awarded to 506 distinguished scientists and engineers whose careers spanned decades of research and development. 

  • There is no limit to the number of nominations by an institution. Self-nominations are not eligible, nor are nominations from immediate family members. Teams are not eligible for consideration. Nominations will be carried over for a period of three years, including the year of nomination. After that time, it is possible to re-nominate the candidate for later consideration, if they are still eligible.
  • Nominate Colleague

Cornell Recipients

Simon Levin, 2016

Jerrold Meinwald, 2014

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement, bestowed by the president of the United States on America's leading innovators. The medal is awarded to individuals, teams (up to four individuals), companies or divisions of companies for their outstanding contributions to America’s economic, environmental and social well-being. The purpose of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation is to recognize those who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness, standard of living, and quality of life through technological innovation, and to recognize those who have made substantial contributions to strengthening the nation's technological workforce.

  • U.S. citizenship is a requirement for individual and team nominations.Nominations of candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged. Anyone can be a nominator. Successful nominations typically include 3-6 recommendation letters.
  • Nomination deadline is in May. 

The Sackler Prizes are intended to promote originality and excellence of research in the field of Biophysics, Chemistry and Physics. They are administered by Tel Aviv University through an advisory committee comprised of the President and Rector of TAU as ex-officio members and others selected ad personam by the President and the Rector.

  • Prize in Biophysics: The prize is given in the field of Physical Principles of Biological Systems. This year an amount of $50,000 will be presented to young investigators under the age of 45. Application deadline is in January.
  • Prize in Chemistry/Physics: The prize is awarded alternatively in the fields of Chemistry and Physics, and is intended to encourage dedication to science, originality and excellence by rewarding outstanding young scientists, under 45 years of age. The prize amount is $100,000.