Excellence Awards in Science and Engineering Program (EASE)

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) is a Presidential award established by the White House in 1995.  The PAESMEM program is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

Nominations, including self-nominations, are invited for "Individual" and "Organizational" PAESMEM awards.  Individuals and organizations in all public and private sectors are eligible including industry, academia, K-12, military and government, non-profit organizations, and foundations.  Exceptional STEM or STEM-related mentoring in both formal and/or informal settings is eligible for the PAESMEM award.

Nominations are encouraged from all geographical regions in the U.S. including its territories and particularly jurisdictions designated by Congress under NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).  NSF EPSCoR-designated jurisdictions are:  Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming.  Nominations from the U.S. Territories are particularly encouraged.

Each "Individual" or "Organizational" PAESMEM awardee will receive a $10,000 award and a commemorative Presidential certificate.  Awardees are also invited to participate in an award recognition ceremony in Washington, DC that includes meetings with STEM educators, researchers and policy leaders.  Up to 16 awards may be made from the nominations received on or before June 17, 2016.

PAESMEM awardees serve as leaders in the national effort to develop fully the nation's human resources in STEM.  To locate PAESMEM awardees in your state, please visit PAESMEM.net.