Call for Nominations: AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility

Their exemplary actions advance trustworthy science – science that is conducted and communicated responsibly, upholding the values of scientific freedom and human rights, including the right of everyone to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress.

Focus Areas

• Acting to protect the public’s health, safety or welfare;
• Focusing public attention on important potential impacts of science and technology on society;
• Providing an exemplary model for responsible scientist-community collaborations that advance justice and the right of everyone to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress;
• Defending the human rights and professional freedom of scientists and engineers under threat;
• Using scientific tools and expertise to promote justice and accountability for grave violations of human rights.

Funding Information

• This award consists of a prize of $5,000, a commemorative plaque, complimentary registration, and reimbursement for travel and hotel expenses to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nominations may be made by anyone. Self-nominations are accepted for this award.
• Nominations may be received for U.S. and non-U.S. individuals and for organizations, for a specific action, for a series of related actions, or for a career-long record of action.
• While many of the past winners of this recognition are individuals, they recognize that the actions this award seeks to honor often come about because of the actions of many people: members of affected communities; students and early career researchers; human rights and environmental justice activists; and more.
• For this reason, they encourage a wide variety of organizations and individuals to seek nomination (or nominate themselves) for this award.

Review Criteria

• The candidate has taken an action or actions that demonstrate and uphold the principles of scientific freedom and/or responsibility.
• The action(s) was taken with regard to an issue of importance, whether to society or to the scientific community.
• To the extent relevant to the nomination, the intellectual contributions of the candidate have been of value to their field and/or society.
• The action(s) taken demonstrated courage on the part of the candidate.

Application Requirements

• Name and contact information of the nominated individual or organization;
• Name and contact information of the nominator;
• A brief citation (25 – 30 words) describing the accomplishment(s) for which the individual or organization is nominated;
• A longer nomination rationale (not to exceed three pages) providing additional details of the accomplishment(s) of the nominee(s) and impact of those activities;
• (Optional) Additional documentation, including links to press or other articles relevant to the nomination (not to exceed three pages);
• A resume or CV, or in the case of a group of nominees, a single document compiling all nominee’s CVs (not to exceed five pages per nominee);
• At least one letter of support (with an optional maximum of two) written by someone other than the nominator. For self-nominations, at least two letters of support are required, with an optional maximum of three.

For more information, visit AAAS.