These are often people who work hard behind the scenes whose contributions might otherwise go unrecognized. Each Unsung Hero Award will consist of a plaque commemorating the award. Unsung Hero Awards are given only to individuals and are not considered group awards. The nominee performs duties that have a huge impact on the programs of the Institute. The nominee performs noteworthy actions which generally have not been recognized in any other way, and has performed the action for the Unsung Hero Award during the current fiscal year, and for a long period of time.
Emphasis is on long term.
No single act would qualify the person. An employee may be nominated repeatedly until selected for receipt of an Unsung Hero Award. An employee who receives this award may not receive any other formal recognition for the same accomplishments. Unsung Hero Award presentations will be in December of the same year. An official congratulatory letter, signed by the Director, will be placed in the employees' Official Personnel Folder.