Award Committees

The awards administered by the ACS National Awards Program are renowned throughout the scientific community. In large measure, this merited status results from the high degree of discernment displayed in selecting recipients.

The ACS National Awards Program is is overseen by the National Awards Advisory Board (NAAB) and supported by two types of committees that assist the Society in selecting outstanding chemical professionals for each award: canvassing committees and selection committees.

Canvassing Committees

Canvassing committees identify potential new nominees and arrange for their nomination.

• Canvassing committee members must be current members (including retired and emeritus members) of the American Chemical Society in good standing with either a standard or premium membership package.
• An award should have a canvassing committee if it has had less than eight total nominees for two successive years. In this case, the canvassing committee is assigned at the next cycle until the award remains above eight nominees for at least two successive years.
• Canvassing committees are also a key part of the Society's efforts to encourage the nomination of individuals from groups not commonly named as recipients of ACS awards, such as chemists from industry, chemists from national laboratories, faculty members at universities not well-represented in the ACS National Awards Program, and individuals underrepresented in chemistry.
• Prior to the annual solicitation of nominations, canvassing committee members are approved by the ACS National Awards Advisory Board and appointed to each of the canvassing committees for a term of three award cycles by the ACS Board Chair.
• Service on a canvassing committee in no way renders the committee member ineligible to submit a nomination for, provide a letter of support for, or be a nominated for that award.

Selection Committees

Selection committees are comprised of chemical professionals appointed to determine the recipient for each award.

• Selection committee members must be current members (including retired and emeritus members) of the American Chemical Society in good standing with either a standard or premium membership package.
  
• Each selection committee consists of five appointed members, each of whom serves for three award cycles, with the exception of the Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry, which has a selection committee consisting of seven members serving for three award cycles.
  
• Selection committee members are approved by the ACS National Awards Advisory Board and appointed by the ACS Board Chair.
• The names of selection committee members are confidential.
  
• During their time on the selection committee, selection committee members may not submit a nomination for, provide a letter of support for, or be nominated for that award. They may submit other nominations or support letters, or be nominated for other awards during their time on the selection committee.
• The recipients of the Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society, the Charles Lathrop Parsons Award, and the Priestley Medal are selected by members of the ACS Board Committee on Professional & Member Relations (P&MR) and the ACS Board of Directors.

Individuals who are interested in serving on a canvassing or selection committee for the ACS National Awards can complete the committee self-nomination form to provide their information to the National Awards Advisory Board.