awards

The Awards Committee of the Council for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (CNIRS) is requesting nominations for three award categories:

(1) The Gerald S. Birth Award: This award, given for outstanding innovation in diffuse reflection or diffuse transmission spectroscopy, is conferred by the Council for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (CNIRS) and sponsored by Unity Scientific Corporation, in memory of Dr. Gerald S. Birth. The late Dr. Birth was the founder of the International Diffuse Reflectance Conference (IDRC), now sponsored by the CNIRS. He also made many significant contributions to the science and application of diffuse reflection spectroscopy. Consequently, it is fitting that the Unity Scientific Award carry Dr. Birth’s name, to honor both the person and his accomplishments in diffuse reflection and transmission technologies.

This award recognizes a specific accomplishment in advancing the Art and Science of diffuse reflection and transmission spectroscopy by a senior research scientist. All scientists performing research in diffuse reflection or diffuse transmission spectroscopy in the visible, near-infrared or mid-infrared spectral regions are eligible for the award.

Additional requirements for the award are listed below:
  • The work must be (have been) published between 1-Jan-2008 and 31-Dec-2009.
  • The awardee (practicing or retired) may be (or have been) affiliated with industry, academia, government, or have another suitable affiliation.
  • Undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers are not eligible.
  • The awardee must be able to present the award-winning work at the IDRC meeting in Chambersburg, PA, July 31 to August 6, 2010.
Nominations for the award should include the following:
  • Complete text of the published work, or galley proof of the work to be published accompanied by a copy of the letter of acceptance for publication
  • Curriculum vitae (CV) of the nominee
  • Citations of other relevant publications of the nominee, if not included in CV
  • Letter of nomination, from someone other than the nominee

The award entails an honorarium of $2000.00 and expenses for his/her travel to the IDRC meeting and for an accompanying guest, up to $1500.

(2) IDRC Travel Fellowships: Support for students and scientists, who might otherwise be unable to attend the IDRC meeting without additional financial aid, is available from the CNIRS. Fellowships will cover meeting registration and travel up to $1000. Applicants should submit a resume and brief statement of how they would benefit from attending the Meeting. In addition, individuals selected for support are expected to submit a poster of their work in the Poster Session of the IDRC.

(3) Honorary Membership in the CNIRS: Honorary Members are persons who have made exceptional contributions to near infrared spectroscopy and have been voted into their membership by the Governing Board of CNIRS. No more than two Honorary Members can be named in any fiscal year. Nominations and supporting documentation are to be submitted to the Awards Committee.

Award Nominations:

Nominations and supporting material for any of the above three awards should be sent to:

David Hopkins, Chair of the CNIRS Awards Committee,
e-mail: awards@idrc-chambersburg.org.

The deadline for all nomination materials to reach the Awards Committee is March 5, 2010 for the Birth Award and March 12, 2010 for the Travel Fellowships and Honorary Membership Award. Awardees will be announced on March 26, 2010. To assure that the nomination materials have reached the award committee, please email David Hopkins and copy Chuck Miller if you have not received acknowledgment within a week of the submission of the materials via email.