Alan T. Waterman Award Frequently Asked Questions

Award Criteria

1. If my candidate is 37, but got his/her doctoral degree 3 years ago, does he/she still qualify for the award?

Yes. The criteria state that the nominee must be 35 or younger by December of the year of nomination OR within 7 years of receiving his/her Ph.D. by December of the year of nomination. All nominees must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.

2. Can I submit more than four references? The form allows me to enter only 4 reference writers. How can I notify the fifth letter writer?

You may submit more than 4 references. However, we caution against submitting more than 5 references, because the nominations get too long. To submit a fifth reference, you need to inform the reference writer to go directly to FastLane (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/honawards/index.jsp), register for a user id and password (if they do not already have them) and follow the tabs to prepare a reference. The system will automatically match the reference to the nomination. Please be aware that references must be from individuals outside of the nominees’ institution.

3. Can I nominate more than one qualified candidate from my institution?

Yes. You may nominate as many qualified candidates from your institution as you would like.

4. I forgot my FastLane user ID.

Please e-mail waterman@nsf.gov or call the Alan T. Waterman manager directly at 703-292-4757 for your user ID.

5. I forgot my password.

Please click the “Forgot password?” link on the Fastlane Honorary Awards nomination page (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/honawards/index.jsp). If that does not work, please e-mail or call as directed in the previous question.

6. I know people submitted references but I cannot see them on the nomination status page.

This usually occurs when the reference writer submits his/her reference under a slightly different name that what was entered in FastLane by the nominator. If the names do not match exactly (i.e., middle initial, formal name vs. nickname), you cannot see the status of the references. However, This does not mean that they are not there. Please e-mail or call the Alan T. Waterman Award manager to confirm the status of the letters.

7. When will I know if my nominee was selected?

The Alan T. Waterman Award manager will contact all nominators the day the awardee is contacted by the Director of the National Science Foundation. If your nominee is not selected but has been deemed a “Top Performer” by the Selection Committee, the nominee will stay in the system for another year. If your nominee was not a “Top Performer” but still meets the criteria, you will be invited to re-nominate. If your nominee was not a “Top Performer” and no longer meets the criteria, we thank you greatly for your interest in the Alan T. Waterman Award.

Inquiries

For further information, or to suggest other questions for this list, please contact:

Mayra N. Montrose
Office of Integrative Activities
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Rm. 1270
Arlington, VA 22230
Phone: 703-292-8040
Fax: 703-292-9040