Awards Process

Selection Process

Each year the OSA Board of Directors appoints committees responsible for reviewing the candidates for the awards and the medals of the Society. Each committee carefully considers each of the eligible nominations for that award and either selects the awardee or makes a recommendation to the Board of Directors. Most awards are announced in March of the year following the nomination deadline.

Eligibility

• Award recipients are not required to be OSA members. However, in most cases, nominators must be OSA members (exceptions are Goodman, Land, Lippincott, Tyndall and Walther).
• OSA does not present awards posthumously, except in the case that the recipient's death occurs after the OSA Award Selection Committee approves the nomination.
• An individual may not receive more than one Society award in a year, nor may an individual receive more than one award for the same body of work.
• The Society allows joint recipients of OSA awards when the nomination is for the same project or for joint work extended over a long period.
• Fellow nominees must be OSA members and nominators must be OSA Fellows.

Renomination

Any nominee not chosen for a medal or prize is automatically considered for the award by the next two consecutive committees that consider candidates (a minimum of four nominations must now be considered before a committee can select an award recipient). Nominators are encouraged to update or augment the nomination materials, if appropriate, prior to the next year's deadline. After consideration by three selection committees, the nomination is retired.

Award Nomination Requirements

Only complete nomination will be considered by the individual award or medal committee. This includes:

• Completed award nomination form.
  
  
• Brief citation stating the accomplishments that make the nominee deserving of this particular award.
  
  
• A one-page narrative description of the significant aspects of the nominee's career.
  
  
• Curriculum vitae listing educational background, positions held, publications, awards, honors, activities and OSA offices held.
  
  
• A minimum of four letters of reference. Diversity of support is preferred; not all letters of recommendation should come from nominee's institution. The nominator may not serve as a reference.

Nominations should be specific about the achievements for which the award is proposed. Clear, concise information about the accomplishments of the nominee is more useful than extensive materials. Excessive documentation will not be distributed to the selection committee. Only complete nominations will be considered. Incomplete nominations will be returned or held for consideration when complete.