Award Descriptions and Requirements

​R​eview the award description, eligibility, and specific nomination requirements for the award prior to submitting your award nomination.​​ 

All award nominations should address the activities most relevant to the award, with a clear statement of the impact the nominee has had in their specific area of expertise. 

APS members may nominate one candidate a year for each of the awards noted below.​

• ​ Award of Distinction​​
• Fellow
  
• ​Excellence in Extension
  
• Excellence in Industry
  
• Excellence in Regulatory Affairs and Crop Security
  
• Excellence in Teaching
  
• Excellence in International Service
  
• Ruth Allen Award
  
• Lee M. Hutchins Award​
  
• Noel T. Keen (next awarded in 2026)
  
• Syngenta Award​ (Early Career Professionals)
  
• William Boright Hewitt and Maybelle Ellen Ball Hewitt Award (Early Career Professionals​)
  

General Nomination Requirements​

• All nominees are expected to maintain the highest professional standards of scientific objectivity, dispassion, ethical conduct, and comply with the APS Code of Conduct. 

• Membership in APS is required for the nominee (both at the time of nomination and upon receipt of award)​ except if being nominated for the Award of Distinction, Lee M. Hutchins​ Award or Ruth Allen Award​​.
  

• In general, nominations for any award must specify how the contributions in the current nomination differ from those used as a basis for a previous APS award.
  

• Fellows of APS who are being nominated for a subsequent Awards of Excellence​ ​​are only considered if the nominator specifies how the contributions in the current nomination differ from those on which the Fellow nomination was based originally, and where the new accomplishment has occurred after recognition of an APS Fellow. A period of five years should elapse between recognition as an APS Fellow and nomination for an Award of Excellence. 
  

• Nominations stand for three award cycles*, unless noted otherwise, and are kept on file by APS. 

           *Lee M. Hutchins, Hewitt, and Noel T. Keen (presented in even years), nominations​ stand for one award cycle.

• ​​The Awards and Honors Committee​ may decide not to give out an award if there are no suitable nominations received.
• ​Deceased APS members are not eligible for an award if they died before being nominated.​​

​​​​Re-nominating

• When re-nominating an individual it is highly encouraged that the nominator update their previous year's nomination and resubmit a new nomination package that includes an updated cover letter along with any new credentials or supporting data. ​

• Nominees not selected by the third year of the award cycle, will need to wait a period of three years from the last year of consideration in the award cycle before nominating the individual again. ​
  

• Contact APS if you have questions.​
  

Award Nomination Material Requirements

Nomination materials are required to be compiled in the following order prior to submitting the nomination. 

1. Nomination Form is a writeable PDF document. Include the completedNomination Form​ as the first page of the nomination package.
    Download Nomination Form​

2. ​One page cover letter ​that includes the candidate’s name and the award for which the nomination is made. The letter may provide additional insight into the significance of the contributions that is not already provided in the nomination statement or nomination​ form. Do not submit multiple letters of support for a candidate’s nomination. 
   

3. ​1,000 word (max) nomination statement that highlights the contributions of the candidate and includes their name, place of birth, institutions along with degrees and years granted, and their current position. The statement should be focused and succinct and document the relevancy and impact of the candidate’s contributions to the advancement of science and plant pathology. This is posted on the APS website and linked to the formal award announcement in Phytopathology News. 
   

4. A 125-words or less narrative statement​ that is used for the audio recording played at the award ceremony. Please adhere to the following narrative requirements:​ 

   • ​Introduce the nominee's name efficiently (including either an audio file or phonetic spelling), their current position and affiliation only. 
     

   • Focus the remainder of the summary on the MOST important and high-impact contributions of the nominee, and include a closing sentence to wrap up the summary. 

   • Do not include windy institute names, endowed or honorary titles, previous awards, unfamiliar or obscure acronyms or abbreviations. They are awkward in a spoken statement. 
     

   • Read the finished statement out loud to a few generalist colleagues and revise accordingly.
      
     
5. ​​A curriculum vitae, not to exceed two pages. 
   ​
   
6. A complete list of publications. The list should be separated into the following categories, with the most recent publications listed first. Do not include abstracts and manuscripts not yet accepted.
   

• ​​​​Refereed journal articles
  
• Extension publications
  
• Books, reviews, and book chapters
• Technical publications (e.g., monographs, reports, symposium papers, proceedings, etc.) 
• Popular publications 
  
• Invited presentations
  

Nomination Package Submission

The completedNomination Form​ and above mentioned materials in order are required to be saved into one PDF document prior to submitting the nomination. Incomplete ​submissions will not be reviewed or considered.