Fellows Nomination Criteria

Nominations for AGU Fellows

The Fellows program recognizes AGU members who have made exceptional contributions to Earth and space sciences as valued by their peers and vetted by section and focus group committees. Election is by a committee of Fellows. To qualify, the nominee must have attained acknowledged eminence in the Earth and space sciences.  Primary criteria for evaluation in scientific eminence are major breakthrough/discovery and paradigm shift. This honor may be bestowed on only 0.1% of the membership in any given year.

Before you start the submission process, please carefully review the guidelines for submitting an AGU Fellow nomination.

2013 Timeline for AGU Fellows Nominations: 15 January–31 March 2013

The submission deadline for 2013 nominations has passed.  AGU will announce the 2013 class of Fellows in July 2013.

Membership Eligibility

A nominee must have been an active AGU member for each of the 3 years immediately prior to the nomination. Active membership simply refers to the renewal of AGU membership for the past three consecutive years. For example, if a member joined AGU in 2010 and has renewed his or her AGU membership, each year, through 2013, he or she is eligible for consideration during the 2013 Fellows nomination process.

To verify the year in which a candidate joined AGU or to determine their member status, please view the Membership Directory via the AGU Member eWeb Portal; or contact the Member Services staff at: service@agu.org.

Nomination Eligibility

1. Ineligible Nominees.  The following individuals and/or groups are not eligible to be candidates for Union Fellows during their terms of service:

• AGU President;
• AGU President-elect;
• Council Leadership Team members;
• Honors and Recognition Committee members;
• Section and Focus Group presidents and president-elects; and
• Union Fellows Committee members are ineligible to be Fellows candidates.  Section/Focus Group Fellows Committee members are ineligible to be candidates for consideration by their respective section/focus group.

2. Relationship to a Fellows Nominee.   AGU policy on the relationship to a nominee is applicable to committee members, nominators, and supporters.

The following relationships need to be identified and communicated to Fellows selection committees, but will not disqualify individuals from participating in the nomination or committee review process:

• Current dean, departmental chair, supervisor, supervisee, laboratory director, an individual with whom one has a current business or financial relationship (e.g., business partner, employer, employee);
• Research collaborator or co-author within the last three years; and/or
• An individual working at the same institution or having accepted a position at the same institution.

Individuals with the following relationships are disqualified from participating in the Fellows nomination or committee review process (i.e., nominator, supporter, or committee member):

• A previous doctoral or graduate advisor, graduate student, or postdoctoral fellow may not write a nomination letter but may write a supporting letter after five years of terminating their relationship with the nominee beginning on 1 January after the year the relationship was terminated. Termination of a relationship is defined as follows:
• nominee no longer being paid by supporter
• nominee no longer supported under the same grant or contract
• Family member, spouse, or partner;
• AGU President;
• AGU President-elect;
• Council Leadership Team members;
• Honors and Recognition Committee members;
• Section and Focus Group presidents and president-elects; and
• Nominator/supporter should not be a member on the Union Fellows Committee or any Section or Focus Group Selection committee that will review the candidate(s).

For more details, please review the AGU conflict of interest policy.

3. Additional Conflicts. Members of Fellows selection committees may, for other reasons, determine that they have conflicts – or potential conflicts – that require elimination from service and then act on that determination if they believe that service could affect the fairness of the selection process.

Nomination Requirements

Nominators must provide the following information:

1. The nominee’s AGU join date (year);
2. The nominee’s primary section or focus group affiliation; and
3. The nominee’s Hirsch index (i.e., h-index) score.  Please note that the h-index is required, but plays only a secondary role in evaluation. ISI Web of Knowledge is a recommended resource.

To verify a nominee’s join date and primary affiliation, please view the Membership Directory via the AGU Member eWeb Portal; or contact the Member Services staff at: service@agu.org.

Your nomination package should contain the following files, which should be no more than two (2) pages in length per document:

1. Nomination letter with one-sentence citation (i.e., citation should be 150 characters or less). Letterhead stationary is preferred.  Nominator’s name, title, institution, and contact information are required.;
2. Nominee’s curriculum vitae.  List the candidate’s (1) name, (2) mailing and e-mail address, (3) history of employment, (4) degrees, (5) research experience, (6) honors, (7) memberships, and (8) service to the community through committee work, advisory boards, etc.
3. Nominee’s selected bibliography. Briefly state the total number and types of publications and specifying the number published in AGU publications. For example: Jane Doe is the author of 92 publications, 86 in peer-reviewed scientific journals, 14 of which have been published in AGU journals and books. The following selected list best supports Jane’s nomination for AGU Fellow.
4. A minimum of 3 but no more than 5 letters of support (total does not include nomination letter). Letterhead stationary is preferred.  Supporter’s name, title, institution, and contact information are required.
5. SUBMISSIONS SENT VIA POSTAL OR COURIER DELIVERY ONLY: Nomination cover sheet – All packages sent via mail or courier delivery should include a completed cover sheet.  (The online submission system will generate a cover sheet for nominators.)

Please note that only complete packages will be forwarded to Section and Focus Group Fellows committees for review. For detailed information on nomination requirements, please view the AGU Fellows frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.

Nomination Submissions

Fellows nominations can be submitted (1) online or (2) by regular mail delivery. However, to expedite the submission process, please use the online submission system. If you have submitted a package online, then please do not send a printed version to AGU headquarters.