AISES Professional Award Nomination Form

Deadline to submit is May 1, 2026 by 11:59 pm MDT

Nomination Criteria and Timeline

JAN – Nominations Open
MAY – Nominations Close
JUNE – Awardees Notified
OCTOBER – Awards presented at the National Conference

Exemplifying excellence in the community and STEM

AISES professional honorees go beyond personal achievements, extending their commitment to excellence to co-workers, family, community youth, and Tribal and First Nations. Their narratives, intricately woven with resilience, hard work, dedication, and discovery, form the core of AISES stories. Explore award categories below:

Blazing Flame

The Blazing Flame Award recognizes an advocate who promotes STEM education and/or career advancement for Indigenous people within their organization and/or community. Nominees should have ten or more years of professional experience and may or may not have a technical background.

Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Demonstrated leadership and potential as a role model
Impact and success in affecting change within their organization and/or community that furthers Indigenous representation in STEM Advocacy and achievements in promoting STEM

Application:

The following items are required for the nomination package:

Nominee information including demographic, educational, and employment information
Sponsor contact information
Biographical Sketch
Resume/CV
Recent high-resolution photograph/headshot
Two Letters of Recommendations
Other Supporting Documents (Maximum of 3) may include news clippings, publication summaries, or additional letter(s) of recommendation

Executive Excellence

This award acknowledges a professional or academic serving as an executive leader within their organization or institution. The nominee must be an experienced upper-level manager or a well-established engineer, scientist, professional, or academic who has significant department and budget responsibilities.

Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Uniqueness of their role, obtained goal, technical work, and other relevant achievements
Impact in the organization and level of responsibility
Background and expertise for their level of responsibility and performance
Challenges and successes to achieve an advanced level of leadership in their field
Demonstrated involvement with Indigenous communities and what role this plays in their leadership position

Application:

The following items are required for the nomination package:

Nominee information including demographic, educational, and employment information
Sponsor contact information
Biographical Sketch
Resume/CV
Organizational Personnel Chart
Recent high-resolution photograph/headshot
Two Letters of Recommendations
Other Supporting Documents (Maximum of 3) may include news clippings, publication summaries, or additional letter(s) of recommendation

Indigenous Excellence

The Indigenous Excellence award is to acknowledge individuals who exhibit excellence in furthering, uplifting, and engaging in Indigenous STEM knowledge through their scholarly work and career. Professionals with 10 or more years of experience with a majority of their work within or on behalf of tribal/Indigenous communities or incorporating Indigenous knowledge will be considered.

Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Service as a role model for Indigenous youth and adults in STEM
Demonstrated leadership within their Indigenous organization or community
Effecting positive change within their Indigenous organization or community
Advocacy and achievement in promoting Indigenous people in STEM education and/or careers

Application:

The following items are required for the nomination package:

Nominee information including demographic, educational, and employment information
Sponsor contact information
Biographical Sketch
Resume/CV
Recent high-resolution photograph/headshot
Two Letters of Recommendations
Other Supporting Documents (Maximum of 3) may include news clippings, publication summaries, or additional letter(s) of recommendation

Most Promising Engineer or Scientist

To acknowledge an early career professional, AISES established the Most Promising Engineer or Scientist award. The nominee must be a STEM professional or academic with less than five years’ experience after earning their last degree. The candidates’ early technical contributions should already indicate a promising career.

Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Unique and/or innovative contribution(s) to their field and/or organization
Demonstrated leadership and initiative in their role
Professional, scholarly and/or technical achievements to date
Potential for advancement within their field and/or organization
Demonstrated effort to advance the representation of Indigenous people in STEM

Application:

The following items are required for the nomination package:

Nominee information including demographic, educational, and employment information
Sponsor contact information
Biographical Sketch
Resume/CV
Recent high-resolution photograph/headshot
Two Letters of Recommendations
Other Supporting Documents (Maximum of 3) may include news clippings, publication summaries, or additional letter(s) of recommendation

Technical Excellence

The Technical Excellence award is designated for an individual who has made a significant contribution to their STEM field/industry through research, design, development, or strategy.

Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Unique and/or innovative contribution(s) to their field through their work
Impact of the nominee’s work including the degree of impact for their field, community, and/or globally
Products (i.e. patents, publications, reports, etc.)
Leadership and potential as a role model
Demonstrated effort to advance the representation of Indigenous people in STEM

Application:

The following items are required for the nomination package:

Nominee information including demographic, educational, and employment information
Sponsor contact information
Biographical Sketch
Resume/CV
Recent high-resolution photograph/headshot
Two Letters of Recommendations
Other Supporting Documents (Maximum of 3) may include news clippings, publication summaries, or additional letter(s) of recommendation

Nomination Form

Sponsor Information

Full Name *

Email Address *

Phone *

Connection to Nominee *

Nominee Information

Full Name *

Email Address *

Phone *

Address *

Apartment, suite, etc

City *

State *

ZIP / Postal Code *

Country

Tribal/Indigenous Affiliation (if any)

Company or Organization/Community *

Title, if applicable *

Principal Role *

Discipline/Field of Work *

Educational Credential(s) *0 / 250

Years of Professional Experience *

Category *

Essay Questions

Biographical Sketch (250 words or less) *0 / 250

Describe the nominee’s demonstrated leadership and potential as a role model. (33 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s impact and how they have successfully effected change within their organization and/or community that furthers Indigenous representation in STEM Advocacy and achievements in promoting STEM. (33 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Share information about nominee’s advocacy and achievements in promoting Indigenous people in STEM. (33 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the uniqueness of the nominee’s role, their obtained goal, technical work, or other relevant achievements. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s impact in the organization and level of responsibility. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Explain the nominee’s background and expertise for their level of responsibility and performance. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s journey, both challenges and successes, to achieve an advanced level of leadership in their field as a professional. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s demonstrated involvement with Indigenous communities and what role this plays in their leadership position. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe how the nominee has served as a role model for Indigenous youth and adults in STEM. (25 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

How has the nominee demonstrated leadership within their Indigenous organization or community? (25 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Explain how the nominee has effected positive change within their Indigenous organization or community. (25 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s advocacy and achievement in promoting Indigenous people in STEM education and/or careers. (25 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s unique and/or innovative contribution(s) to their field and/or organization. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

How has the nominee demonstrated leadership and initiative in their role? (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

What are the nominee’s professional, scholarly and/or technical achievements to date? (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s potential for advancement within their field and/or organization. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s unique and/or innovative contribution(s) to their field through their work. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Explain the impact of the nominee’s work including the degree of impact for their field, community, and/or globally. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Provide a summary of the nominee’s products. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s leadership and potential as a role model. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe the nominee’s demonstrated involvement with Indigenous communities. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Describe how the nominee has advanced the representation of Indigenous people in STEM. (20 points) *500 words or less0 / 500

Attachments

Resume/CV *

No file chosen

2 Letters of Recommendation *

Organizational Personnel Chart *

No file chosen

Recent high-resolution photograph/headshot *

No file chosen

Other Supporting Documents may include news/media content, publication summaries, or additional letter(s) of recommendation. *

(maximum of 3)

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