ACA Award Nomination Information

The American Crystallographic Association awards program honors outstanding contributions across the structural sciences. This page provides an overview of nomination packet requirements, the review and notification process, and important information regarding honorariums and travel reimbursements. We encourage nominators and nominees to review this information carefully before submitting a nomination.

Award Cycles

Nomination Packet Requirements

All nominations are submitted online and must be completed in full by the stated deadline. To streamline the process, all required materials should be uploaded together by the nominator in a single submission.

Please note that only complete nominations received by the deadline can be reviewed. Nominees who are not selected in a given cycle will automatically be reconsidered by the appropriate review committee in the following award cycle.

A complete nomination package includes:

1. A one-page narrative highlighting the significance and impact of the nominee’s career

2. The nominee’s curriculum vitae

3. A list of the nominee’s publications

4. Any additional materials that help illustrate the nominee’s contributions

5. At least three letters of support from individuals with first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s work and achievements

When you’re ready to submit, gather your contact information and the nominee’s contact details, and combine all required materials into one PDF. Click the button below to access and complete the nomination form.

Submit a Nomination

To submit a nomination, you’ll need to be an ACA member in good standing. If your membership is not current, simply renew your dues—or consider teaming up with another ACA member to help put together a nomination for someone you’d like to see recognized.

Review & Notification Process 

After the nomination deadline of April 1 each year, all completed nomination packages are reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate Awards Committee or to Council, depending on the scope of the award. Shortly after the deadline, the ACA will contact the nominee—copying the nominator—to confirm that the nomination has been received and to share the expected timeline for the review process.

Following careful review and consideration, the Committee Chair will notify the ACA President of the selected recipient, typically within four weeks of the close of nominations. To ensure a fair and confidential process, committee members do not disclose the recipient’s name until the individual has been formally notified by the ACA President.

Award recipients are formally announced at the ACA Annual Meeting and recognized in the corresponding issue of RefleXions. Strong nominations that are not selected in a given year remain active and are automatically reconsidered in the next award cycle, provided the nominee continues to meet eligibility requirements.

Honorarium/Travel Reimbursement Information

Honorariums are presented in conjunction with the ACA Annual Meeting at which the recipient is recognized and are issued by check from the American Crystallographic Association, drawn on a U.S. bank. At this time, honorariums are not available in cash or alternative payment formats.

To process an honorarium or travel reimbursement, recipients are required to complete a Form W-9, which provides the ACA with the taxpayer information needed for accounting and IRS reporting purposes. Non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents must have, or obtain, a U.S. Tax Identification Number in order to receive an honorarium or reimbursement.

For awards that include a travel reimbursement component, recipients are asked to submit original receipts totaling at least the amount reimbursed. The same tax documentation requirements apply to travel reimbursements as to honorariums.