Nomination information
NSF is seeking nominations for exceptional candidates that represent the diversity of the nation. Nominations for the 2023 Alan T Waterman Award will be accepted from July 18 to September 16, 2022.
Please review the Nomination Form Description and Letter of reference template before you start preparing a nomination. Nominations must be submitted through the new Honorary Awards nomination portal.
We encourage you to review the Waterman Award Nomination Tips. These tips were created by a previous Alan T. Waterman Awards Review Committee to support nominators and reference writers in their efforts to expertly showcase the talents and expertise of nominees.
Additional information can be found in the Frequently asked questions.
Eligibility and selection criteria
NSF seeks nominations that reflect the diversity of the U.S.
- Nominees must:
- Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Be 40 years of age or younger OR not be more than 10 years beyond receipt of their Ph.D. by December 31st of the year they are nominated.
- Nominees should have demonstrated exceptional individual achievements in scientific or engineering research of sufficient quality, originality, innovation and significant impact on the field to place them at the forefront of their peers.
Alan T. Waterman award committee
Alan T. Waterman award committee
Candidates are reviewed by the Alan T. Waterman Award committee once the nomination call has closed. The committee then recommends the most outstanding candidate(s) to NSF's director and the National Science Board.
Terms expire May 31, 2022
Buell T. Jannuzi
Director, Steward Observatory
Head, Department of Astronomy
University of Arizona
Biography
Sandra Graham
Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Human Development
Presidential Chair in Education and Diversity
University of California, Los Angeles
Biography
Terms expire May 31, 2023
Gilda A. Barabino
President
Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Olin College of Engineering
Biography
Michal Lipson
Eugene Higgins Professor, Electrical Engineering
Professor, Applied Physics
Columbia University
Biography
Ingrid Daubechies
James B. Duke Distinguished Professor, Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor, Mathematics
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Duke University
Biography
Paul Turner
Rachel Carson Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Microbiology Faculty, Yale School of Medicine
Yale University
Biography
Terms expire May 31, 2024
Lesia L. Crumpton-Young
President
Texas Southern University
Biography
Kelvin K. Droegemeier
Regents' Professor of Meteorology
Weathernews Chair Emeritus, Applied Meterology
Roger and Sherry Teigen Presidential Professor
University of Oklahoma
Biography
Katherine L. Gross (retired)
Professor Emerita, Plant Biology
University Distinguished Professor
Emerita Director, Kellogg Biological Station
Michigan State University
Biography
Myron P. Gutmann
Professor, History
Director, Institute of Behavioral Science
University Colorado - Boulder
Biography
James F. Kurose
Associate Chancellor of Partnership and Innovation
Distinguished Professor, Information and Computer Sciences
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Biography
Terms expire May 31, 2025
Ann Quiroz Gates
AT&T Distinguished Professor, Computer Science
University of Texas - El Paso
Biography
Margaret Leinen
Director, Scripps Institution of Oceangraphy
University of California, San Diego
Biography
Darryl N. Williams
Senior Vice President, Science and Education
The Franklin Institute
Biography
Members, ex officio
SETHURAMAN PANCHANATHAN
Director, National Science Foundation
Dan Reed
Chair, National Science Board
Marcia McNutt
President, National Academy of Sciences
John L. Anderson
President, National Academy of Engineering
NSF recognizes 3 scientists with the Alan T. Waterman Award
NSF recognizes 3 scientists with the Alan T. Waterman Award

Credit: National Science Foundation
The 2022 Alan T. Waterman Award recipients are Jessica E. Tierney, a University of Arizona geoscientist; Lara A. Thompson, a University of the District of Columbia biomedical engineer; and Daniel B. Larremore, a computer scientist from the University of Colorado Boulder.
- Jessica E. Tierney is recognized “for outstanding advances in the reconstruction of past climate change and furthering the understanding of future climate change.”
- Lara A. Thompson is recognized “for pioneering innovations in rehabilitation engineering, discovering improved balance elicited by a vestibular prosthesis in primates with vestibular loss, and translation of basic science from her research towards engineering-based models and interventions to improve the lives of people suffering from balance, gait, and postural impairments.”
- Daniel B. Larremore is recognized “for foundational research in computational epidemiology, combining mathematics and computation with real-world data to create powerful new models that provide concrete, innovative, and useful answers to globally important questions in the study of epidemic dynamics, including timely research on vaccination and testing strategies for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.”
This is the first year NSF has chosen to honor three researchers with the award. Well over 100 nominations were received for the 2022 Alan T. Waterman Award, increasing the number and diversity of nominees and affiliated institutions compared with past years.
Please read NSF's press release for more information.
Yes. The criteria state that the nominee must be 40 years of age or younger by December 31st of the year of nomination OR within 10 years of receiving their Ph.D. by December 31st of the year of nomination.
A complete nomination includes submission of all requested information through the nomination portal and submission of all four references. The four references must be from individuals who are not from the nominee's home institution. Incomplete nominations will not be reviewed by the committee.
Yes. Please submit no more than the four required reference letters. NSF will not review more than four letters per nomination. Reference letters are limited to two pages each.
Reference letters are welcome from colleagues outside the nominee's home institution. Colleagues at the nominee's institution may not submit reference letters for the nominee.
Yes. You may nominate as many qualified candidates as you would like.
No. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Because the award includes an extramural federal grant, federal employees are not eligible to be nominees.
Yes. The nominator can be from the nominee’s home institution or another institution.
Inquiries
Inquiries
For further information concerning the Alan T. Waterman Award program or nomination process, email waterman@nsf.gov or contact NSF's Office of Integrative Activities at (703) 292-8040.