Fellows Nomination Guidelines

To be elected a Fellow of AGU is a special tribute for those who have made exceptional scientific contributions. Nominations come from the AGU membership generally and are vetted by Section committees. Election is by a committee of Fellows. To qualify, the nominee must have attained acknowledged eminence in the Earth and space sciences. This honor may be bestowed on only 0.1% of the membership in any given year.

Any member of the Union, whether or not a Fellow, may nominate another member for Fellow.

To expedite the submission process, use the online submission form.

Nomination and Supporting Letters

The nomination and supporting letters must clearly state how the candidate’s research over a sustained period of time has made significant impact on his/her field. The letters must explain the contributions and their importance so that they can be understood by their peers and scientists in other fields of research.

Consider answering the following questions as you make your case for Fellowship in the nominating letter and supporting letters:

The breadth of the impact on our science. How far-reaching is it? Explain in terms that will be understandable to those in other fields of study.
Where does the candidate’s work rank in the field?
Is the work specific to a field of study or interdisciplinary?
What insight has been gained as a result of the candidate’s work?
How has the candidate’s work contributed to the field overall and/or in the growth of the field?
What impact does the work have on current and future research?
What research was influenced by the candidate’s contributions?
In what other ways has the candidate contributed to the scientific community? What other recognitions has the individual received?

Nominating and supporting letters should be concise and clear. The nomination should include a brief history of the candidate's work and the publications that have resulted. It must include a final sentence that encapsulates the essence of the individual's contributions. It is important that the supporting letters augment the nomination with substantive comments that establish the nominee's reputation.

Who should write supporting letters?

Supporters should be chosen so that collectively they provide the best possible coverage of the nominee’s accomplishments and contributions.
Though it is acceptable to have one or two supporting letters from the candidate’s home institution, support should be sought from scientists in other organizations.
Consider geographic breadth in the supporting letters; request supporting letters from those outside of the home country of the candidate to show international recognition.

Membership Eligibility for Nominees

A nominee must have been a member for each of the 3 years immediately prior to the nomination. If you are unsure of the candidate’s member status, your Member Services Department can help verify at service@agu.org or check the Membership Directory for year joined.

Section Presidents and presidents-elect cannot be considered for Fellowship during their term of office.

The Complete Nomination Package

Nomination coversheet

To facilitate the review process a one page summary of materials included in the nomination package must be completed.
The nomination coversheet (pdf) can be downloaded for packages sent by post or will be completed during the online submission process.

Nomination letter

Must clearly detail the most significant contributions and why they merit election as a Fellow in a way that is meaningful to the full membership and those considering the nomination.
Must be no longer than 2 pages.
In the last sentence very briefly summarize the reason for Fellowship, using the following format: “(Nominee’s name) should be elected a Fellow for (state the essence of the scientific contributions in 150 characters or less).”

Selected bibliography

Must be no longer than 2 pages.
Begin by briefly stating the candidate’s total number and types of publications and specifying the number published in AGU journals.
Do not just select the most recent publications; choose those that best support your argument for Fellowship.

Curriculum Vitae

Must be no longer than 2 pages.
List the candidate’s name, address, history of employment, degrees, research experience, honors, memberships, and service to the community through committee work, advisory boards, etc.

Supporting letters

A minimum of 3 and no more than 5 letters should be submitted.

Cover sheet for nominations submitted by post

Download and complete the nomination coversheet (pdf), and return it to AGU as part of the nomination package to: AGU, Fellows Committee, 2000 Florida Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009 USA.

Submitting the package

To expedite the submission process, use the online submission form. Note that the nomination package must be complete at the time of submission. You will not be able to add additional information online once the form has been submitted. You do not need to send a printed version if you submit the package using this form.
To submit a printed package for consideration, send the complete package to AGU headquarters to the attention of the Fellows Committee with receipt by the 1 July 2009 deadline.

Note that whether submitted by web form or post, only complete packages will be forwarded to the Section Fellows Committee for review.