AwardsNominationUserGuide

Step1: Pre-nomination Preparation:

You are strongly encouraged to form a nomination team at your place of employment or within your Local Section or Division to annually identify and nominate worthy individuals who exemplify the mission of the ACS National Awards Program and meet award criteria. As a nominatoryouwill need to supplytheinformation anddocumentsbelow.If yougatherand prepare this information beforebeginning theprocessthis will greatly expedite yoursubmission. All entries should focus on the award and selection committee criteria.

  • Suggestedcitation forthenomination. (25 words)
  • Letterofrecommendation. (750 words or less)
  • List of nominee’s mostsignificantoutcomes: publications, products, patents, achievements, consequences, etc. (up to 20 outcomes)
  • Nominee’sbiographical sketch(2 pages).
  • Supportletter (400 words or less)
  • Second supportletter(optional,butrecommended; 400 words or less).

Step2: Loginto the Nomination Application:

TheURLfortheACS NationalAwards Nomination Application is: intotheNomination Application byusing either a combinationofyourLastNameand ACSMemberNumberoryourACS ID and password.ACSIDs can beobtainedat priortobeginning theACSNationalAwardsNomination Application.

Afterlogging in, you maybeaskedtoconfirmyourcontactinformation. Ifallis correct,youcan checkthe “Confirm” boxand submit.You arealsogiventheopportunitytoEdityourinformation,oreven addseparatecontactinformation foryourAwards-specificmaterials andcommunications.

Step3: Selectthe Award and Create/EdittheNomination:

Fromthenominationdashboard you cancreate anewnominationormanageexisting activeor rollovernominations.

3.1Creatinga NewIndividualNomination:

Tocreate a newnomination,select theAwardfromthedropdown listorbegin typinga searchtermintotheAward Nametextbox.Onceyou haveidentified theAward,selectthe“CreatenewNomination” button tobegin thenomination.

Identify theNominee:

Youwill besearching the ACSdatabaseto identifythenomineeforyour nomination.You cansearchthedatabasebyACSmembernumberorbyname.To searchbyACSmember,select the

“I knowtheirmembernumber”radiobutton andenterthemembernumberintothe searchbox. Clicking the“Find Member”button will find thenominee.Tosearchbyname,selectthe“Iknowtheirname”radiobutton andtypethenominee’s lastnamefollowed byfirstname inthesearch box.Onceyou havefound thenominee,clickthe“SelectNominee”buttonto continuethe application.

If the personyouwish tonominate isnotfound intheACS database,you cancreate a newcustomerrecord forthenominee.Simply,select the“Createa newnominee”button.Youwillberequired to enternameand addressinformation forthenominee.(Note:Toavoid duplicaterecordsfrombeing created,you mustsearchforthenomineebynamebeforethechoice tocreate a newnominee isavailable.)

Select the Continuebuttonto advancetothenextpage ofthenomination.

EligibilityQuestions:

Theeligibilityquestionsaredictated bythespecificAward eligibilityrequirements.Allquestionson thispageneed to be addressed.Basedon theanswerstothesequestions,you willbenotifiedifthenominee is notan eligiblenomineefortheaward.

Select the Continuebuttonto advancetothenextpage ofthenomination.

Preparethebodyofthenomination:

Citation–Enter asuggested citation forthisnomination.There is a25-word limitonthecitation.

Recommendation–Either entertextin thetextboxorupload a documentthat explains in 750wordsor lesswhythe nominee is deserving ofrecognition bythisaward.TheRecommendationlettershould clearlyindicate:

  • Alignment of work with Award's purpose, eligibility, and/or criteria
  • Significance and impact of this work on the field/discipline and on the chemical enterprise
  • Excellence of the work
  • Innovativeness of the approach used
  • Potential/realized impact and benefits of the work on society
  • Service to the scientific community

Toupload a document,click the“SelectFile”buttonand browsetothedocument.Documentsare restrictedtoWordorPDFformats.

Output–Upload a documentthatcontains a listof up to 20ofthe nominee’smostsignificantoutputs (publications,patents, achievements, consequences, etc.) aligned with award/selection criteria and nomination materialsTo uploada document,clickthe“SelectFile”buttonand browsetothedocument.Documentsarerestricted toWordorPDFformats.

BiographicalSketch –Upload thenominee’sbriefbiographical sketch (2 pgs) that focuses on the award and selection committee criteria.If award specifies degree and date information, please include. Touploada document,clickthe“SelectFile”button and browseto thedocument.DocumentsarerestrictedtoWordorPDFformats.

Supportletters–ToassisttheSelection Committee in itsdeliberations,theidentificationofonesupporterand supportletteris required.Theselettersshould beno morethan400words andcontaininformation notgiven in therecommendationletter. The support lettersshouldclearlydescribetheimpactofthe nominee’sworkonthediscipline/chemical enterpriseandthe alignmentofthiseffortwith theAward’spurpose,eligibilityand/orcriteria.

Youmayalsoidentify a second supporterforthenomination anduploadan additionalsupportletter.Thissecondsupporter/supportletterisoptionalbutrecommended. However ifasupporter isidentifieda corresponding supportletterof 400 words or less mustbeuploaded.

As withthe nominee,youwill besearching theACS databasetoidentifythesupporterforyournomination. Ifthe supporter is notlocated in theACSdatabaseyouwill havetheopportunitytoadd a newrecord forthesupporter.

Oncethesupporterhasbeenidentifiedyouwillneedtoupload theircorresponding supportletter.To upload adocument, clickthe“SelectFile”button and browseto the document.

DocumentsarerestrictedtoWordorPDFformats.

Select the Continuebuttonto advancetotheconfirmation page.

ConfirmtheNomination materials arecorrect:

Review allcontentontheconfirmation page.You willbeableto “open”any uploadedfilestoconfirmtheyarecorrect. Ifanychangesareneededselectthe “GoBack”buttonuntil you gettothe page/steprequiring thechange.

Oncethenomination iscompleteand allmaterialsarecorrect,selectthe“Submit”button.Youwill then receivean email confirming thereceiptof yoursubmission.Untiltheaward deadline,youwill havetheabilityto returntoyourdashboard to makeanyadditionaledits orchangestothe nomination.

3.2Creatinga NewTeamNomination:

Adding/Naming theTeam:

If the Award you choose isa Teamaward,thesteps areslightlydifferent.Youwillfirstneedtonamethe Teambyusing theteam members’lastnames,separated bycommas.

Youwill then need to enterthefollowinginfofortheteam:

Recommendation–Either entertextin thetextboxorupload a documentthat explains in 750wordsor lesswhythe team effort and research accomplishments aredeserving ofrecognition bythisaward.TheRecommendationlettershould clearlyindicate:

•Alignment of work with Award's purpose, eligibility, and/or criteria

•Significance and impact of this work on the field/discipline and on the chemical enterprise

•Excellence of the work

•Innovativeness of the approach used

•Potential/realized impact and benefits of the work on society

•Service to the scientific community

Toupload a document,click the“SelectFile”buttonand browsetothedocument.DocumentsarerestrictedtoWordorPDFformats.

Citation–Enter asuggested citation forthisteamnomination.There is a25-word limitonthecitation.

Supportletters–ToassisttheSelection Committee in itsdeliberations,theidentificationofonesupporterand supportletteris required.Thelettershould beno morethan400words andcontaininformation notgiven in therecommendationletter. The supportlettershouldclearlydescribetheimpactofthe nominee’sworkonthediscipline/chemical enterpriseandthe alignmentofthiseffortwith theAward’spurpose,eligibilityand/orcriteria.

Youmayalsoidentify a second supporterforthenomination anduploadan additionalsupportletter.Thissecondsupporter/supportletterisoptionalbutrecommended. However,ifasupporter isidentifieda corresponding supportletterof 400 words or less mustbeuploaded.

Youwill besearching the ACSdatabaseto identifythesupporterforyournomination. If thesupporter isnotlocatedinthe ACS databaseyouwillhavetheopportunitytoadd anewrecordforthesupporter.Pleasereferto the sectionIdentifythe Nominee on page2 forinstructionsonhowto searchforindividuals in thedatabase.

Oncethesupporterhasbeenidentifiedyouwillneedtoupload theircorresponding supportletter.To upload adocument, clickthe“SelectFile”button and browseto the document.

DocumentsarerestrictedtoWordorPDFformats.Clickthe“CreateTeam” Buttonto continue.

CreatetheTeam:

Youwill thenbetaken toadashboard pagewhereyou willseetheoptionto AddTeamNominee.Thesteps foraddinga teamnomineeareidentical toadding a singlenomineeon page2 ofthisdocument.If theindividual is notin the ACSDatabaseyouwill begiventhe optiontocreatea recordforthem.

Afterselectingor adding theteam member,youwill thenneedto entera Publications andPatentslistand reason for why this person is being included andBio Sketchforeachteammember,similartoindividualnominations.

ClickContinuetoproceedbacktotheDashboard pagetoaddanotherTeam memberor finalizethe Team Nomination.

NOTE: Thenumberof team membersperteamisset byspecific Awardrequirements.Theprogramwillnotallowyoutocontinueif you havetoo fewortoo manyteammembers.

ConfirmtheTeamNomination materialsarecorrect:

If youare finishedadding Team Members,clickthe“SubmitNomination” buttonunder theTeamname.Thiswilltakeyoutotheconfirmation page.ReviewboththeTeam contentand theIndividualProfilecontentto makesureit iscorrect. Ifanychangesareneededselectthe “GoBack” button and select EditnexttotheTeamNomination to maketherequiredchanges. Youcanalso “Remove”anyteam membersif neededor add additionalonesifeligible.

Oncethenomination iscompleteand allmaterialsarecorrect,selectthe“Submit”button.Youwill then receivean email confirming thereceiptof yoursubmission.Untiltheaward deadline,youwill havetheabilityto returntoyourdashboard to makeanyadditionaledits orchangestothe nomination.

3.3Editing anExistingorRollover Nomination:

Editing Existing Nominations:

If you begin a nomination per the instructionsabove,andneed to “SaveforLater,”thatnominationwill appearonyour dashboard whenyounextlog in.You simplycyclethroughthepages,finisheditingor adding therequired documentation, andsubmit. ForTeamnominationsyouwill alsohavetheabilitytoaddor removeTeam Members ifyou havenotreached thelimitsforthatparticularAward.

Editing RolloverNominations:

It is very helpful to the Selection Committee to have updated information. This is particularly important for nominations that are not compliant with the current word limits. In addition,valid nominationsfrompreviousyearswill automaticallyberolledoverinto thecurrent cycleandshowonyourDashboard as aRolloverNomination.Toedita RolloverNomination,clickon Editfromthe dashboard andyouwillbecycledthrough thenominationscreenspertheinstructionsabove.

•If thereare nochangestoan existing RolloverNomination,youDONOT NEEDTOEDIT.Simplyleave it aloneanditwill beincluded inthe current yearsubmissions.

•IF YOUBEGIN EDITING a rollovernomination,youwillberequired to complete allthescreensand stepsandpossiblyre-upload anysupporting documents, including theOutputList,theBio Sketch andanySupportletters.Pleasepreparebyhaving all filesor documentation availablebeforebeginning toedita RolloverNomination.

SpecialNotes

  • Allnominationsmustbesubmitted bytheAwardDeadlineforconsideration.
  • If you need to stop at anytimeduring theprocess,youhavethe abilitytochoose the SaveforLaterbuttonatthe bottomofthe screen.
  • At any pointpriortotheAwarddeadline,you can return totheDashboardto continueworkingon thenomination,editit,or deleteitaltogether.
  • Thesystemissetto warnyou ifyou havebecomeidlefor20minutes.You willreceivea warningscreen andgiventheoption to continuewithyoursessionor logout.Pleasebeawarethat ifyoulogoutwithout“Saving forLater,”noneofyourprogress oruploadswill besaved. Ifyou donotrespond to the timeoutwarning, you riskbeing automaticallyloggedout andyoursessionaborted.

ErrorsduringSubmission

Someusersmayexperience an errorwhen trying tocompletea nomination.Theseerrorsfallintotwogeneral categories:

  • Upload Errors

Upload errorsoccur whena documentisunacceptabletothesystem.Thiscould bedueto thefilebeing corrupt, inaformat that isnotacceptable,orhavinga long nameor a name containingspecial characterssuchas“&”or“%.” If youexperience an uploaderror,pleasecontact mayask you toforward thedocument causing the errorso wecan analyze it.

  • ASMErrors

The ASM isanextrasecuritylayer which hasbeenplacedoverall member-facingewebapplicationstoprotectagainsthackingandotherInternetsecuritybreaches.ASMErrorsoccurwheninformationthatisenteredintoaneweb applicationcontainssuspectwording,charactersorcodethatalertthesecurityprogram.

Belowaretwoscreenshotsof whatyoumay seewithanASMError.ThesevarydependingontheInternetbrowserused,ortheapplication.

Ifyoureceive an ASMError duringsubmission,donot worry –yourPCisNOTatrisk.Pleasesendthefollowinginformationto ntheycanworkwithyou immediatelyto helpyou bypassthe ASMerror and continue yournomination.Theinformationbelowhelpsustracktheerrorsandimprovethesystem.

  • TheApplicationyouareusing(AwardsVoting,AwardsNominations,etc.)
  • YourInternetBrowser/Version.ThemostcommonbrowsersareInternetExplorer(I.E.),Firefox,GoogleChrome,Safari.Also sendthe version ifyou knowit,i.e.Firefox10,InternetExplorer9.
  • TheSection/Scenariooftheapplicationwheretheerroroccurred(i.e.,updatingmybio,uploadingasupportingdocument,enteringfreeformtext).
  • Thetextorfileyouwereentering
  • The ASMSupport ID--This isthelongnumberthat appears inthe ASMErrormessage.

Thank you for your nomination. The mission of the ACS National Awards Program is to promote and deliver a high-quality recognition program that highlights the contributions of members of the chemistry enterprise by actively engaging chemical practitioners worldwide. We sincerely thank you for your role in ensuring a successful National Awards Program.