Outstanding Leadership Medal (OLM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to Government employees for notable leadership accomplishments that have significantly influenced the NASA Mission.

Sustained leadership and exceptionally high-impact leadership achievements should demonstrate the individual's effectiveness in advancing the Agency's goals and image in present and future terms.

As one of NASA's most prestigious medals, the leadership excellence must be demonstrated in all of the following areas:

• Achieving Results--Highly effective in achieving positive results/change. Impact and importance of work achievements toward NASA's missions and image are a direct result of the individual's contributions and efforts.
• Role Model--Consistent and exemplary behavior that models NASA's core values and promotes these values within the Agency.
• Leading People--Cooperative collaboration and teamwork across the organizational, directorate, Agency, Government or industry level to accomplish expected results;
• Influencing Change--Innovative approaches used in the conception, design, or execution of projects, programs, initiatives, and activities (work represents a high degree of creativity or fundamental departure from usual practice).

Achievements in leadership are not limited to executives or supervisors – employees at any grade level who meet the criteria may be considered.

Outstanding Public Leadership (OPLM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to non-Government employees for notable leadership accomplishments that have significantly influenced the NASA Mission.

Sustained leadership and exceptionally high-impact leadership achievements should demonstrate the individual's effectiveness in advancing the Agency's goals and image in present and future terms.

As one of NASA's most prestigious medals, the leadership excellence must be demonstrated in all of the following areas:

• Achieving Results--Highly effective in achieving positive results/change. Impact and importance of work achievements toward NASA's missions and image are a direct result of the individual's contributions and efforts.
• Role Model--Consistent and exemplary behavior that models NASA's core values and promotes these values within the Agency.
• Leading People--Cooperative collaboration and teamwork across the organizational, directorate, Agency, Government or industry level to accomplish expected results;
• Influencing Change--Innovative approaches used in the conception, design, or execution of projects, programs, initiatives, and activities (work represents a high degree of creativity or fundamental departure from usual practice).

Exceptional Service Medal (ESM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to a Government employee for sustained performance that embodies multiple contributions which contribute to NASA projects, programs, or initiatives.

The criteria must include all of the following:

• Sustained performance has made a significant improvement to NASA deliverables, operations, or image;
• Employee's record of achievements sets a benchmark for others to follow;
• Substantial improvement to a NASA program that yielded high quality results or improvements;
• Impact and importance of the employee's services have been instrumental to the past and ongoing success of NASA.

Exceptional Public Service Medal (EPSM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to any non-Government individual or to an individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed for sustained performance that embodies multiple contributions on NASA projects, programs, or initiatives.

The criteria must include all of the following:

• Sustained performance has made a significant improvement to NASA deliverables, operations, or image;
• Employee's record of achievements sets a benchmark for other non-Government contributors to follow; substantial improvement to a NASA program that yielded high quality results or improvements;
• Impact and importance of the employee's services have made a lasting impact on the success of the Agency.

Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal (EEAM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to both Government and non-Government individuals for exceptional engineering contributions toward achievement of the NASA mission. This award is given for individual efforts for applications of engineering principles or methods that have resulted in a contribution of fundamental importance in this field or have significantly enhanced understanding of this field or have significantly advanced the state of the practice as demonstrated by an application to aerospace systems.

The criteria also include the following:

1. Accomplishments are far above others in quality, scope, and impact.
2. Accomplishments are explicit, significant, and demonstrate results.

Engineering contributions are typically characterized as being the design, development, and application of tools and systems, or significant process improvements. (A contribution that was overlooked at the time it occurred will also be considered.)

Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal (ETAM)

1. Technology development significantly contributing toward achievement of the NASA mission;
2. Development of a broadly applicable, disruptive technology for advancing future research capabilities or commercial applications;
3. Development of key conceptual or theoretical advances to technology that significantly accelerate the achievement of NASA's Mission;
4. Exemplary collaborative effort in achieving significant technology transfer or technology infusion;
5. Exceptional utilization of a NASA-developed technology resulting in a significant commercial application.

Exceptional Achievement Medal (EAM)

The criteria are as follows:

• Work-related achievements yielding high-quality results and/or substantial improvement that supports the Agency mission.
• Innovative approaches used in the conception, design, or execution of the individual's work.
• Impact and importance of the individual's achievement related to the Agency's goals and image.

Exceptional Public Achievement (EPAM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to any non-Government individual or to any individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed. The award is for a significant specific achievement or substantial improvement in operations, efficiency, service, financial savings, science, or technology which contributes to the mission of NASA.

The criteria are as follows:

• Work-related achievements yielding high-quality results and/or substantial improvement that supports the Agency mission.
• Innovative approaches used in the conception, design, or execution of the individual's work.
• Impact and importance of the individual's achievement that made a significant contribution that enables NASA to accomplish its mission.

Early Career Achievement (ECAM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to any Government employee for unusual and significant performance during the first 10 years of an individual's early career (i.e., entry-level professional in a scientific, engineering, administrative professional or technical position) in support of the Agency.

Performance is characterized by unusual initiative or a creative achievement that clearly demonstrates a significant contribution in the individual's discipline area that directly contributes to NASA's mission and goals. The contribution is significant, in that, for an employee who is at such an early phase of career, the contribution has substantially improved the discipline area.

The criteria also include the following:

• The achievement yields high-quality results and/or substantial improvements to the discipline.
• Impact of the employee's achievement has significant importance relative to the discipline area.
• The achievement is perceived as outstanding or significant by peers and/or impacted target groups.

Justification must describe the nominee's career history sufficiently to show that that he/she meets the definition of "early career" as defined herein.

Equal Employment Opportunity Medal (EEOM)

This prestigious NASA medal is awarded to both Government and non-Government individuals for outstanding achievement and material contribution to the principles and goals of NASA's Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion Programs, either within the Government or within community organizations or groups. Diversity is the similarities and differences in the individual and organizational characteristics that shape our workplace. Inclusion is the means by which we optimize the benefits to mission inherent in our diversity, for example, the policies, procedures, and practices that an organization puts in place to create more inclusive work environments.

The criteria in the areas of Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion are as follows:

1. achievements are clearly superior in quality, scope, and impact, and
2. achievements are explicit and demonstrate significant results.

(A contribution that was overlooked at the time it occurred will also be considered.)

Outstanding achievement and material contributions to EEO can be demonstrated in a number of ways, such as:

• Creating or promoting a work environment that is accessible and welcoming to employees with disabilities (e.g., initiated a transportation network that assists employees with disabilities commute to work).
• Leading recruitment efforts to nontraditional sources to expand the demographic diversity of the applicant pool (e.g., established a relationship with a Historically Black College or Tribal College that resulted in more diverse Co-op students).
• Consistently participating in programs that help ensure mentoring or coaching for members of underrepresented groups in the organization.
• Leading cultural awareness or education events for employees.
• Initiating outreach events for underrepresented groups in the community.
• Volunteering to speak or conducting workshops at national conferences such as Black Engineer of the Year Award, Society of Women Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, etc.
• Consistently utilizes summer interns from diverse cultures, including interns with disabilities.

Outstanding achievement and material contributions to diversity and inclusion can be demonstrated in a number of ways, such as:

• Creating an inclusive work environment where employees are engaged, valued, and respected and their talents are fully utilized, for example, by championing the Agency's Diversity and Inclusion Policy within the organization and considering and including goals of diversity and inclusion in all organizational planning.
• Leading diversity and inclusion dialogues, and educational opportunities and encouraging employees to participate in diversity and inclusion dialogues, surveys, and training and educational opportunities.
• Recognizing and rewarding employees for commitment to diversity and inclusion, for example as part of their performance planning and evaluation, and in nominations for leadership programs and awards.
• Actively assuring conflicts within the organization are resolved in a positive and constructive manner, for example, by taking a leadership role in the NASA Conflict Management Program training.

Group Achievement Award (GAA)

This prestigious NASA certificate is awarded to any combination of Government and/or non-Government individuals for an outstanding group accomplishment that has contributed substantially to NASA's mission.

The criteria should include:

1. The quality of results and the Agency or multi-Center level of impact on programs or operations;
2. Effective management of cost and schedule;
3. Customer satisfaction;
4. Team growth and capacity for future contribution (Government personnel only); and
5. Additional credit for development of innovative approaches, use of and contributions to lessons-learned data banks, and/or
6. Success in responding to unforeseen crises.