[American Association for the Advancement of Science](https://www.aaas.org)

June 30, 2026 (Nomination submission deadline for 2027 AAAS Mentor Awards)

$5,000 cash prize per awardee; includes plaque, registration, and travel/hotel reimbursement for AAAS Annual Meeting.

Recognizes individuals for exceptional mentorship and leadership in increasing diversity among doctoral students in science and engineering fields.

--- ## Description The AAAS Mentor Awards honor individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering fields and careers. Through mentorship, awardees have guided significant numbers of students—such as women, African American, Native American, and Hispanic men, and people with disabilities—to the completion of doctoral studies. The awards also recognize those who have fostered institutional change to significantly increase diversity among students pursuing and completing STEM doctoral degrees. There are two award categories: - **Mentor Award:** For individuals who have served as mentors for less than 25 years. - **Lifetime Mentor Award:** For individuals who have served as mentors for 25 or more years. Awardees are selected based on the impact of their mentoring efforts, support for students' academic and professional advancement, and demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in STEM at the doctoral level. --- ## Due Dates - **June 30, 2026:** Nomination submission deadline for the 2027 AAAS Mentor Awards (closes at 11:59 PM ET). - Nominations open April 15, 2026. --- ## Funding Amount - **Monetary Prize:** $5,000 for each awardee (Mentor Award and Lifetime Mentor Award). - **Additional Benefits:** Commemorative plaque, complimentary registration, and reimbursement for reasonable travel and hotel expenses to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting. --- ## Eligibility - Open to all individuals, regardless of nationality or citizenship, who have mentored students at a U.S. institution. - Nominees must be living at the time of nomination. - **Mentor Award:** Less than 25 years of mentorship. - **Lifetime Mentor Award:** 25 or more years of mentorship. - Nominees must have mentored significant numbers of students from underrepresented groups (including women of all racial/ethnic groups; African American, Native American, and Hispanic men; and people with disabilities) to completion of STEM doctoral degrees, or have significantly impacted departmental/institutional diversity at the PhD level. --- ## Application Process - Nominations must be submitted via the [AAAS Mentor Awards portal](https://mentorawards.secure-platform.com/a). - Required materials: - Brief citation (25–30 words) describing the nominee’s accomplishments. - Nomination rationale (max 3 pages) detailing how the nominee reflects the award’s purpose. - Candidate’s curriculum vitae (max 5 pages). - List of underrepresented students mentored, including year PhD earned, institution, and current employment. Use these templates: [Bachelor’s & Master’s Student List](https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/s3fs-public/bach_masters_students.pdf) and [PhD Student List](https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/s3fs-public/phd_students.pdf). - Up to five supporting letters from students and three from colleagues. - Nominees may be nominated up to three times. - All materials must be in English and become the property of AAAS. --- ## Additional Information - Both direct doctoral mentors and those who impacted graduate student mentorship institutionally are eligible. - Nominations should document both quantitative impact (number/diversity of PhD students mentored) and qualitative impact (letters of support, institutional change). - AAAS encourages nominations from a broad range of backgrounds and geographies. - Awardees are expected to meet high standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. --- ## External Links - [AAAS Mentor Awards – Program Page](https://www.aaas.org/awards/mentor/about) - [Nomination Portal](https://mentorawards.secure-platform.com/a) - [Eligibility Details](https://mentorawards.secure-platform.com/a/page/Eligibility) - [Past Recipients](https://www.aaas.org/page/aaas-mentor-award-recipients) - [AAAS Awards Overview](https://www.aaas.org/aaas-awards) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact Method | |----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | General Inquiries | [awards@aaas.org](mailto:awards@aaas.org?subject=AAAS%20Mentor%20Awards) | | Funder Phone | 202-326-6400 | | Funder Contact Page | [Contact AAAS](https://www.aaas.org/contact-aaas) |

AAAS Mentor Awards

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