SPIE Awards

Eligibility

Nominations of historically marginalized groups are especially encouraged. The SPIE Awards committee utilizes a blind review process of nominations, ensuring the elimination of conscious or nonconscious bias when selecting award recipients.  

Both self-nominations, and nominations by others are accepted. 

Go to SPIE Awards for additional information.

*Early Career Achievement Awards: contribution(s) must have been made within the first 5 years of a faculty appointment after completing training.

Summary

Honoring transformative advancements in a variety of professional areas — including medicine, astronomy, lithography, optical metrology, optical design, and community leadership — the Society's awards recognize technical accomplishments as well as committed service to SPIE and support of its organizational mission. This year's 21 award recipients represent an exciting range of stellar achievements across light-based sciences and technologies.

Nominations are due July 1, 2023.  Recommendation letters are due no later than July 15th, 2023.

Nominations submitted after July 1, 2023 will be eligible for the 2024 Award year.  Nominations are eligible for a 3 year period.*

Gold Medal Award

A.E. Conrady Award in Optical Engineering

Aden & Marjorie Meinel Technology Achievement Award

Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award

Britton Chance Biomedical Award

Chandra S. Vikram Award in Optical Metrology

Dennis Gabor Award in Diffractive Optics

Diversity Outreach Award

Early Career Achievement Award - Academic

Early Career Achievement Award - Government/Industry

Frits Zernike Award for Microlithography

George W. Goddard Award in Space and Airborne Optics

GG Stokes Award in Optical Polarization

Harold E. Edgerton Award in High-Speed Optics

Harrison H. Barrett Award for Medical Imaging

Maria Goeppert Mayer Award in Photonics

Maria J. Yzuel Educator Award

Maiman Laser Award

Mozi Award

Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake Award in Optical Design

Note the following awards are not processed via this nomination platform:

• Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award
• SPIE President's Award
• SPIE Directors' Award
• Visionary Award

Go to SPIE Awards for additional information.

Application deadlines

Program application deadline

Nominations are due 1 July 2024 and must include:

• Citation: a brief and specific statement; the basis for the award nomination
• Narrative: no more than one page

• Related accomplishments:
  • Technical accomplishments (outstanding technical accomplishments in an educational, research, design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, or other capacity)
  • Service to the community
  • Impact to SPIE
  • Other efforts related to the citation
• Letters of reference: a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of five (5) letters of reference from other than the nominator
  • Diversity of support is preferred. Not all letters of recommendation should come from the nominee's organization. Letters must be received within two weeks of the nomination deadline.
• Curriculum vitae: should not exceed 20 pages

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