Faculty Prizes and Awards:
Nominations Sent Directly
to Agency
The programs listed here provide awards and prizes to individuals in recognition of achievement. Programs are listed by approximate nomination deadline. Nominations for these programs are not submitted through the Sponsored Projects Office; this page is provided as a courtesy to the Academic Senate Faculty Awards Committee. To search for other prize and award programs, see the Pivot and Grant Forward funding opportunities databases.
| Prize | Agency Deadline | Research Areas | Program Synopsis | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo Environment Prize | early January | environmental fields | Awarded for “Outstanding innovations or scientific discoveries which in broad terms fall within the environmental field.” | 1.5 million SEK, or approximately $209,000 |
| Robert Welch Award in Chemistry | February 1 | chemistry | Recognizes individuals who have made substantial chemical research contributions for the benefit of mankind. | $300,000 |
| Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Composition | early February | music | Individuals of outstanding musical achievement as demonstrated by a substantial body of creative work. | $100,000; perfomance of a composition by the recipient |
| King Baudouin African Development Prize | February 15 every other year | varied | The Prize rewards outstanding contributions of individuals or organizations in the development field in Africa, and spotlights innovative initiatives which improve quality-of-life and empower local communities to take development into their own hands. | 150,000 Euros |
| Grand Hamdan International Award | February | varies | Awards quality but also dedication to the alleviation of the sufferings of humanity through research and exemplary service. The major deciding factor will be a research breakthrough in the subject selected for the award, having the potential to have a major impact on healthcare delivery. | 250,000 AED or approximately $68,000 |
| McGraw Prize in Education | mid March | any discipline | Individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of education. | $50,000 |
| National Medal of Arts | mid March | arts | The highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States Government. | medal |
| Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award | March 15 | science and engineering | Bestowed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy to mid-career scientists and engineers in recognition of exceptional scientific, technical, and/or engineering achievements related to the broad missions of DOE and its programs. | citation, gold medal, $20,000 honorarium |
| Balzan Prize | March 15 | literature, moral sciences and the arts; physical, mathematical and natural sciences and medicine | The four Balzan Prizes, two per category, are awarded to scholars, artists and scientists who have distinguished themselves in their fields on an international level. | four prizes of 750,000 Swiss francs |
| National Medal of Science | March 31 | chemical, physical, biological, social or behavioral sciences, mathematics, or engineering | The Nation’s highest honor for American scientists and engineers presented annually by the President of the United States. | medal |
| National Medal of Technology and Innovation | March or April | technological achievement | Given to individuals, teams, and/or companies/divisions for their outstanding contributions to the Nation’s economic, environmental and social well-being through the development and commercialization of technology products, processes and concepts; technological innovation; and development of the Nation’s technological manpower. | medal |
| Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award | March or April | all disciplines | Recognizes one senior, tenured faculty for exemplary leadership in advancing students’ civic learning, community engagement, and contributions to the public good. | $2,000 |
| Charles Stark Draper Prize | April 1 | engineering and technology | The Prize is awarded for outstanding achievement in engineering and technology contributing to the advancement of human welfare and freedom. | $500,000 |
| Materials Research Society Von Hippel Award | April 1 | materials research | Recognizes those qualities most prized by materials scientists and engineers — brilliance and originality of intellect, combined with vision that transcends the boundaries of conventional scientific disciplines. | $10,000, honorary membership, and trophy |
| ICTP Dirac Medal | April 15 | theoretical physics | Awarded to scientists who have made significant contributions to theoretical physics. | $5,000 and medal |
| U.S. Professors of the Year Program | mid April | undergraduate education | Sponsored by CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. | $5,000 and certificate |
| Enrico Fermi Award | April | energy science and technology | Bestowed by the President of the United States to an individual or individuals of international stature in recognition of exceptional scientific, technical, engineering, and/or management achievements related to the broad missions of the U.S. Department of Energy and its programs. | $50,000 honorarium, gold medal, citation |
| World Food Prize | May 1 | any field involved in the world food supply | The foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. | $250,000 |
| King Faisal International Prize | May 1 | service to Islam, Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature, medicine, science | Rewards men and women whose contributions make a positive difference: those who exceptionally serve Islam and Muslims, and the scientists and scholars whose research results in significant advances in specific areas that benefit humanity. This incentive also encourages expanded research that may lead to important medical and scientific breakthroughs. | US $200,000, medallion, certificate for each category |
| Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities | May | humanities | The lectureship recognizes an individual who has made significant scholarly contributions in the humanities and who has the ability to communicate the knowledge and wisdom of the humanities in a broadly appealing way. | $10,000 honorarium and lecture |
| Franklin Institute Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science | May 31 | varies | Presented annually to a distinguished member of the international scientific community for work in a prescribed discipline that changes each year. | $250,000 and a gold medal |
| National Humanities Medal | June | humanities | Honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the Nation’s understanding of the humanities, broadened citizens’ engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to important resources in the humanities. | medal |
| Millennium Technology Prize | July 31 every two years | all fields of technology | The aims of the prize are to promote technological research and innovation that have a positive impact on the quality of life, alleviate fears towards technological change and encourage discussion between technology specialists and societal decision makers. | trophy and prize; in 2012 the prize pool was € 1.2 million divided equally between the two winners |
| Epilepsy Research Recognition Awards Program | early August | epilepsy | Designed to encourage and reward clinical and basic science investigators whose research contributes importantly to understanding and conquering epilepsy. | $10,000 |
| Wolf Prizes to Promote Science and Art for the Benefit of Mankind | August 31 | agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics; architecture, music, painting, sculpture | Since 1978, five or six prizes have been awarded annually in the Sciences. In the Arts, the prize rotates annually among the four fields. | $100,000 and certificate in each field |
| AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy | September 1 | science and engineering | Seeks to recognize an individual or a limited number of individuals working together in the scientific or engineering community for making an outstanding contribution to furthering science diplomacy. | $5,000 and commemorative plaque |
| AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Award | September 1 | science and engineering | The Prize is awarded annually either to a public servant, in recognition of sustained exceptional contributions to advancing science, or a scientist, whose career has been distinguished both for scientific achievement and for other notable services to the scientific community. | $5,000 and commemorative plaque |
| Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement | mid September | environmental science, environmental health and energy | Prizes are awarded for any one of the following: the protection, maintenance, improvement or understanding of an ecological or an environmental condition anywhere in the world; the discovery, further development, improvement, or understanding of known or new sources of energy; medical discoveries or achievements with such worldwide implications that they significantly benefit environmental aspects of human health. | $200,000 and gold medallion |
| NSF Alan T. Waterman Award | late October | any field of science or engineering supported by NSF | Bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional individual achievement in scientific or engineering research of sufficient quality to place them at the forefront of their peers. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, 35 years of age or younger, or not more than seven years beyond receipt of their Ph.D. degree by December 31 of the year in which they are nominated. | $500,000 over three years and medal |
| Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching | November 1 bienially | teaching | Designed to honor great teachers, to stimulate discussion in the academy about the value of teaching, and to encourage departments and institutions to value their own great teachers. Awarded bienially. | $265,000, travel and lodging, and $35,000 for home department for winner; $15,000 and $10,000 for home department for 2 other finalists |
| Leavey Awards for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education | November 1 | education | Recognizes educators at the elementary, junior high school, high school, and college levels for innovative and effective techniques in teaching entrepreneurship and the free enterprise education. | 20 awards of $7,500, one award of $15,000 may be made for an outstanding entry |
| Lemelson-MIT Award for Global Innovation | early November | sustainability | Recognizes individuals whose technological innovations improve the lives of impoverished people in the developing world. | $100,000 |
| Lemelson-MIT Prize | early November | invention, innovation | Recognizes individuals who translate their ideas into inventions and innovations that improve the world in which we live. Awarded to outstanding mid-career inventors, who have developed a patented product or process of significant value to society, which has been adopted for practical use, or has a high probability of being adopted. | $500,000 |
| National Science Board Vannevar Bush Award | early November | science and technology | Honors truly 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. | medal |
| Jose Vasconcelos World Award of Education | November | education | Ganted to renowned educator, an authority in the field of teaching, or to a legislator of education policies who has had a significant influence on the advancement in the scope of culture for mankind. | diploma, commemorative medal, and $10,000 |
| Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts | November | arts | Conferred upon a renowned artist, sculptor, writer, poet, cinematographer, photographer, architect, musician or other performing artist, whose work constitutes a significant contribution to the artistic legacy of the world. | diploma, commemorative medal, and $10,000 |
| Albert Einstein World Award of Science | November | scientific and technological R&D | Created as a means of recognition, and as an incentive to scientific and technological research and development. It takes into special consideration those researches, which have brought true benefit and well being to mankind. | diploma, commemorative medal, and $10,000 |
| Dan David Prize | November 30 | varies each year | Awarded for achievements having an outstanding scientific, technological, cultural or social impact on our world. Each year fields are chosen within the three Time Dimensions - Past, Present and Future. | three prizes of $1 million each per year |
| Erwin Plein Nemmers Prize in Economics; Frederic Esser Nemmers Prize in Mathematics | December 1 | economics, mathematics | Each prize is awarded every two years to recognize work of lasting significance in the respective disciplines. In particular, the prizes recognize major contributions to new knowledge or the development of significant new modes of analysis. | each prize is $175,000 |
| Francis Bacon Award | December 1 biennially | history of science, history of technology, historically-engaged philosophy of science | Awarded to an outstanding scholar whose work continues to have a substantial impact on any of the three fields. | $20,000, 3 months as a visiting professor at Caltech |
| Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis | December 31 every two years | laser technology | Honors scientists and developers who make advancements in the field of laser technology. The award is made every two years for excellent research and development work on the application or generation of laser light. | three prizes: 30,000 20,000, and 10,000 Euros |
| Harvey Prize | December 31 | science and technology, human health, peace in the Middle East | Awarded annually in a variety of disciplines within the categories of science and technology and human health. The Prize has also been awarded for contribution to peace in the Middle East. | $75,000 |
| Franklin Institute Benjamin Franklin Medals | open | chemistry, computer and cognitive science, earth and environmental science, electrical engineering, life science, mechanical engineering, physics | Recognizes outstanding achievement in science and technology. | endowed medals |