Exceptional Achievements in Catalysis 

Purpose of the award: 

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This award will recognize excellence and scientific leadership in catalysis science and technology by an individual in the last 10 years.  Nominees are expected to have demonstrated pioneering research accomplishments in the design or synthesis of catalysts and/or chemical or mechanistic characterization of catalysts leading to advancements in our understanding and application of catalysis. Nominations that highlight work for which the nominee has not received recognition by other awards are strongly encouraged.  

Nominees for this award can be at any career stage.  Nominees must also have been a member of the ACS Catalysis Science and Technology division for a two-year period preceding their nomination, and cannot have previously received this award.  This award will be granted regardless of race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, presence of disabilities, and educational background. We strive to recognize significant achievements from members across the division in a manner that reflects the richness and variety of our catalysis community.​

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Nomination procedure:

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Nominations for the award are due by December 10, 2025.  The nomination should include:
● A nomination letter that describes the nominee’s achievements in the preceding 10-year period, highlighting contributions that have not been previously recognized by other national awards [1000 words]
● Two letters seconding the nomination. At least one letter writer must be a member of the ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology (CATL) [500 words]
● The nominee’s CV [5 pages]
● A complete list of scholarly work relevant to the nomination

 
The award will be presented annually at the Fall meeting of the ACS at a special session of the ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology.  The awardee will receive $1,000 as honorarium and up to $1,500 in travel support. 
 
All nomination packages (collated in a single PDF file) should be sent by email to Prof. Eranda Nikolla (erandan@umich.edu), Chair, ACS Catalysis Science and Technology Division.

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Selection procedure:

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A jury comprising experts from academia, industry and national laboratories selects the awardees. The jury members are asked to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and to disqualify themselves without prejudice when a conflict exists.  The jury is appointed by the Chair of the ACS Catalysis Division who seeks input from the Chair of the Awards Committee and other members of the ACS Catalysis Division Executive Committee.  The identity of the jury members is confidential and only known to the President of the ACS Catalysis Division.  Members of the jury are asked to rank the candidates and provide justification for selecting the top three candidates.  After the first vote the jury may be asked to consider for a second time the candidacy of the top two candidates in selecting an awardee. The award will be granted regardless of race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, presence of disabilities, and educational background. 

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