Beyond this, the NAE presents four awards to honor extraordinary contributions to engineering and society. In addition, the Academy presents a number of awards spanning a range of scientific disciplines to recognize outstanding achievements in science. It combines in a single program the support of research and education of the highest quality and in the broadest sense. This premier program emphasizes the importance the Foundation places on the early development of academic careers dedicated to stimulating the discovery process in which the excitement of research is enhanced by inspired teaching and enthusiastic learning. The purpose of this award is to recognize demonstrated excellence, promise of future success in scientific or engineering research, and potential for eventual leadership of the recipients in their respective fields.
Specified topics change each year.
Awards are typically for a period of three years with two additional years possible as options to bring the total award to five-years, and at a funding level ranging from half a million to about a million dollars per year, dependent upon the topic, technical goals, and availability of appropriations. The annual award recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the National Science Foundation.