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News Release 12-160

Call for Nominations: NSB 2013 Honorary Awards in Science Leadership and Public Service

Nominations are due by Thursday, November 1, 2012.

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Nominations are open for the Vannevar Bush Award and the Public Service Award.


September 4, 2012

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

The National Science Board (NSB) is seeking nominations for the 2013 Vannevar Bush Award and the 2013 Public Service Awards. Nominations are due by Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012. Details about each award and the nomination process are below.

2013 Vannevar Bush Award

Honoring Lifelong Leadership in Science and Technology and Contributions to the Nation through Public Service

2013 Bush Solicitation Flyer

The Vannevar Bush Award honors exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology who have made substantial contributions to the welfare of the nation through public service activities in science, technology and public policy.

The award was established in memory of Vannevar Bush, who served as a science advisor to President Roosevelt during World War II. He helped establish federal funding for science and engineering as a national priority during peacetime and was behind the creation of the National Science Foundation.

Candidates for the Vannevar Bush Award must be U.S. citizens and should have demonstrated outstanding leadership and accomplishment in meeting at least two of the following selection criteria: distinguished him/herself through public service activities in science and technology; pioneered the exploration, charting and settlement of new frontiers in science, technology, education and public service; demonstrated leadership and creativity that have inspired others to distinguished careers in science and technology; contributed to the welfare of the nation and mankind through activities in science and technology; and/or demonstrated leadership and creativity that has helped mold the history of advancements in the nation's science, technology and education.

Recent recipients include: Leon Lederman, director emeritus, Fermilab; Charles M. Vest, president of the National Academy of Engineering and president emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Bruce Alberts, editor-in-chief, Science Magazine; Mildred Dresselhaus, institute professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Norman Augustine, former chief executive officer and chairman of the board, Lockheed Martin Corporation; and Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

For a list of past recipients of this award, visit the Vannevar Bush Award Recipients page on the NSB website.

Visit the Vannevar Bush Award page for detailed nomination instructions and further information about this award.

2013 National Science Board Public Service Award

Honoring Service in Public Understanding of Science and Engineering

2013 Public Service Award Solicitation Flyer

The NSB Board Public Service Award honors individuals and groups that have made substantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States. These contributions may be in a wide variety of areas that have the potential of contributing to public understanding of and appreciation for science and engineering--including mass media, social media, education and/or training programs and entertainment.

The NSB Public Service Award typically is given to one individual and one group--company, corporation, or organization--each year. Members of the U.S. government are not eligible to receive the award.

Candidates for the NSB Public Service Award should have demonstrated outstanding leadership and accomplishment in meeting the following selection criteria: increased the public's understanding of the processes of science and engineering through scientific discovery, innovation and its communication to the public; encouraged others to help raise the public understanding of science and technology; promoted the engagement of scientists and engineers in public outreach and scientific literacy; contributed to the development of broad science and engineering policy and its support; influenced and encouraged the next generation of scientists and engineers; achieved broad recognition outside of the candidate's area of specialization; and fostered awareness of science and technology among broad segments of the population.

Past individual recipients include: Lawrence Krauss, foundation professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University; Moira Gunn, host of "Tech Nation"; Alan Alda, host of "Scientific American Frontiers"; Craig Barrett, Intel business executive; Ira Flatow, host and executive producer of National Public Radio's "Science Friday"; Oliver Sacks, clinical professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist.

Past group recipients include: San Francisco's Exploratorium; Bayer Corporation; Association of Science-Technology Centers; Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research; Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; American Chemical Society; Council for the Advancement of Science Writing; "Bill Nye, the Science Guy"; and NOVA, the PBS television series.

For a list of past recipients of this award, visit the Public Service Award Recipients page on the NSB website.

Visit the Public Service Award page for detailed nomination instructions and further information about this award.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Bobbie Mixon, NSF, (703) 292-8070, email: bmixon@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Ann Ferrante, NSF, (703) 292-4520, email: aferrant@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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