The intent of the national Awards is to foster inventiveness in the U.S. and to celebrate the American spirit of invention and innovation. Individuals from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds are invited to nominate by the Lemelson-MIT Awards Program in order to encourage candidate diversity. Informal applications and nominations are not accepted. Candidates for the Lifetime Achievement Award are suggested to the Program by the inventor community, past Awards nominators and reviewers, and other national leaders in science and technology. Nominators remain anonymous.
Anonymity encourages fair and even consideration of all candidates.
Each committee is comprised of national experts in the areas of medicine and health care, computing and telecommunications, energy and environment, consumer goods, and industrial products. The Lifetime Achievement Award winner is selected by the Lemelson-MIT Prize Board, chaired by Professor Lester C. Thurow, internationally recognized economist at the MIT Sloan School of Management. The Lemelson family is the benefactor of the Awards Program and does not participate in the selection processes. After final deliberations are made, the Prize winner and the Lifetime Achievement Award honoree will be notified by a telephone call from the chairman of the Lemelson-MIT Prize Board, Professor Lester C. Thurow. The winners of the Lemelson-MIT Awards are announced each spring of the awarding year.