Community Awards

Overview

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant supported Community Awards for US-RSE members and the RSE community. The goals of this award program are to:

Recognize individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to RSE community.
Recognize individuals who have helped US-RSE mission.
Connect people within the US-RSE community.
Assist individuals to grow in their own career.
Increase visibility and viability of Research Software Engineering as a career.

The 2024 awards is the first year of these awards.

Call for 2024 US-RSE Community Awards

The following two awards will be offered in year 2024.

US-RSE Excellence in Service: The 2024 US-RSE Excellence in Service Award recognizes a member’s exceptional dedication to fostering the growth and advancing the mission of the US-RSE organization. The recipient of this award will receive an award certificate, recognition on the US-RSE website, a $250 gift card as well as recognition at the annual US-RSE’24 conference. Nominees must not currently serve on the US-RSE steering committee, award committee, or be part of the staff.

Criteria:

Nominated candidates must be current US-RSE members.
Candidates must provide demonstrable evidence of their outstanding contributions to the US-RSE organization, showcasing their commitment to its mission and goals.

US-RSE Impact Award: The US-RSE Impact Award honors an individual’s remarkable contributions and influence within the Research Software Engineering (RSE) profession. It celebrates achievements across various domains, including but not limited to: advancing RSE training and education, elevating RSE status through impactful activities, authoring influential works to enhance visibility, and nurturing the development of RSE communities. The recipient of this award will receive an award certificate, recognition on the US-RSE website, a $250 gift card as well as recognition at the annual US-RSE’24 conference. Nominees must not currently serve on the US-RSE steering committee, award committee, or be part of the staff.

Criteria:

The nominated candidate must be a current member of US-RSE.
Candidates should present clear and tangible evidence showcasing their exceptional contributions and the resulting impact on the RSE community, which may include innovative projects, leadership roles, impactful publications, mentorship efforts, or initiatives that have significantly influenced and advanced the RSE profession.

Award Timeline and Process

Nominations open: Feb 5, 2024
Nominations close: March 29, 2024 (Extended)
Award announcement: May 30, 2024

Once nominations close, the 2024 Award committee will review nominations, check candidate eligibility and application details. Applications are evaluated based on potential for positive impact on the community, alignment to the US-RSE mission, and the submitting members’ qualifications, including previous US-RSE activity. Awards are expected to be announced in mid-May.

Application Details

Once nominations open, interested members are encouraged to nominate themselves. Alternatively, if you know of a member whom you think would make a good nominee, you can recommend them. All US-RSE members in good standing are eligible to be nominated.

Application Form

The nomination forms for the two awards are as follows. Please fill out these forms for self-nomination OR if you are nominating someone else.

US-RSE Excellence in Service: Application form
US-RSE Impact Award: Application form

On the nomination form, expect to provide the following information.

If Nominating Someone Else:

Your name and email
Nominee’s name and email
A short sentence about why you are nominating the individual

If nominating someone else, please complete the form early so that we can contact the nominated person and obtain their nomination materials before the application closing date. Nominations of others will only be shared with the award committee and the nominated individual. The award committee will contact the nominated individual to inform them of their nomination, may disclose the nominator’s identity, and confirm their interest in participating by asking them to submit materials through the self-nomination process. This information will not be made public.

Self-nomination:

Your name and email
A link to a resume, CV, LinkedIn profile, or professional website
Supporting statement (<= 500 words)

2024 US-RSE Awards Committee

Rinku Gupta, Argonne National Laboratory
Chen Zhang, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Chuck Pavloski, Penn State University
Geoffrey Lentner, Purdue University
Kenton McHenry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Nicole Brewer, Arizona State University

FAQs

Q: What should I do if I receive an email from the Awards committee that (someone) has nominated me?

A: If someone else nominates you, the Awards committee will send you an email asking you to fill out the self-nomination form. Please proceed to fill out the application form, select 'self-nomination,' and enter the required details.

Q: Are there 'extra points' when someone else nominates me vs. self nomination?

A: There are no 'extra points' whether you self-nominate or if someone else suggests your name (and then you are contacted by the Awards committee to fill out the self-nomination form). Regardless of the approach, all candidates must eventually fill out the self-nomination form and state why they are deserving candidates for the award - This is to ensure that the process is fair whether candidates are self-nominated or recommended by others. So, we encourage you to nominate yourself.

Q: Can individuals submit nominations for more than one award in same year?

A: No, individuals cannot apply for multiple awards in the same year.

Q: Who all can apply for awards?

A: The applicant/nominee has to be a current US-RSE member. Current US-RSE Steering Committee members or staff members cannot apply for awards.

Q: Do applicants have to be based in the U.S. to apply?

A: No; any member of US-RSE is eligible to apply.

If you have questions, please send them via email to awards@us-rse.org or ask in the #rse-community-awards slack channel.