Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology

The IEEE Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology recognizes individuals who by virtue of initiating new areas of research, development or engineering have had a significant impact on the field of nanotechnology. The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE has more than 400,000 members in more than 160 countries, 45 percent of whom are from outside the United States. It consists of 38 societies and 7 technical councils representing the wide range of IEEE technical interests.

The award is given only to those persons who have well-established careers: according to the IEEE, nominees must be "at least 10 years beyond his or her highest earned academic degree". Each year, the IEEE Nanotechnology Council grants one or two Pioneer Awards if the Awards Committee determines that the nominations are worthy In the latter case, there may be one award for academics, i.e. persons employed by universities, and one for persons employed by industry or government organizations. The award consists of honorarium and a commemorative plaque. The main considerations for judging include distinction in long-term technical achievements, leadership, innovation, breadth, and impact on nanotechnology and engineering.

The Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology is administered by the IEEE Nanotechnology Council (NTC), a multi-disciplinary group related to nanotechnology research and applications which consists of 21 IEEE member societies. Their purpose is to support and guide state-of-the-art research in the field of Nanotechnology. The main considerations for judging include distinction in long-term technical achievements, leadership, innovation, breadth, and impact on nanotechnology and engineering. In this sense, the Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology recognizes individuals whose technical achievements go beyond the borders of a particular technical society.