Deadline: 30-Jun-25
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is requesting applications for its AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award to recognize scientists and engineers who demonstrate excellence in their contribution to public engagement with science.
Award Information
- The recipient receives a monetary prize of $10,000, a commemorative plaque, and recognition at the AAAS Annual Meeting.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominations may be made by individuals, universities, government agencies, media, research organizations, and AAAS affiliate organizations. One nominator can nominate multiple candidates.
- Editors from publishing houses may only offer one nomination.
- Self-nominations are permitted.
- Prior nomination does not exclude a nominee applying in subsequent years. Re-nomination is encouraged.
- Nominee must be an individual scientist, mathematician, or engineer. Groups or institutions will not be considered for this award.
- AAAS employees are ineligible.
- Eligible nominees include active or retired scientists and engineers from all disciplines (including social sciences, mathematics, engineering, and medicine) who have contributed substantially to the public’s engagement with science or technology. They may be based in academia, government or industry. Public engagement activities must be above and beyond job responsibilities.
- Nominees considered “early career” may be eligible for the AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science.
Selection Criteria
- One scientist or engineer will be chosen to receive the award each year and will be announced at the AAAS Annual Meeting.
- Successful nominees will have demonstrated excellence in their contributions to public engagement with science activities, with a focus on interactive dialogue between the individual and their audience(s).
- Types of public engagement activities might include but are not limited to: informal science education; public engagement and public dialogue activities, such as science cafés and science festivals; public policy activities; science communication activities, such as mass media, including radio, TV, books, and film; and social media.
- The selection committee includes distinguished scientists, engineers, and public engagement practitioners named by AAAS. Decisions of the committee are final after approval by the board.
- AAAS may ask winners to contribute to public engagement with science by speaking to groups of AAAS constituencies, helping to identify scientists to participate in AAAS engagement events, and participating in other AAAS activities related to public engagement with science.
- The award selection committee will evaluate nominations through the questions below. Nominees will possibly excel in one category more than others.
Application Requirements
- Nominations and materials must be in English.
- You will be asked to provide:
- Name, email address, institution, position, and phone number of the nominee.
- Name, email address, institution, position, and phone number of the nominator (if not a self-nomination).
- A brief citation (25 – 30 words) describing the accomplishment(s) for which the individual is nominated.
- Nomination rationale describing the public engagement activities that form the basis for the nomination, and the impact of those activities.
- This statement of no more than 3 pages should discuss the nominee’s approach to public engagement. It should emphasize the nominee’s public engagement goal(s), intended audience(s), and message(s), as well as the level and type of dialogue achieved with their audiences, evaluation of public engagement work, and examples of how public engagement has affected the nominee’s scientific work.
- More information about AAAS’s approach to public engagement is available in the Communication Toolkit.
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae
- Limit CV to five pages, with a specific section highlighting public engagement activities distinct from work that is required as part of the nominee’s job. If the CV is longer than five pages, only the first five pages will be considered.
For more information, visit AAAS.