2025 Society Awards and Grants

Past Award Recipients

Call for Nominations

Submission deadline is May 15, 2025

AAIC invites its members to submit nominations for any of the six annual society awards, to be presented at the 36th Annual Conference & Meeting.
Please note that awards are not automatically given each year, they require nominations from members.
If you know someone who has made a meaningful impact in our field, we strongly encourage you to nominate them for recognition.

Award Categories

1. A.E. Thompson Career Achievement Award

Established to honor Dr. A.E. (Tommy) Thompson’s lasting contributions to AAIC and the field of industrial crops and products.
This award recognizes individuals with a career of significant contributions in research, development, and/or utilization of industrial crops and products.

Eligibility:

  • Must be or have been an AAIC member for at least 2 years
  • Minimum of 10 years in R&D, academia, or industry
  • Substantial record of publications, patents, products, or intellectual property

Nomination Packet:

  • Nomination letter from a current or past AAIC member
  • 4-page CV highlighting key achievements
  • 1-page statement of impact (regional, national, or international)
  • Two additional letters of support

2. Outstanding Researcher Award

Recognizes individuals with well-established, impactful research in the field of industrial crops and/or products.

Eligibility:

  • Current AAIC member with at least 2 years of membership
  • Demonstrated research excellence

Nomination Packet:

  • Nomination letter from a current or past AAIC member
  • 4-page CV highlighting key achievements
  • 1-page statement of impact

3. Gail H. Dahlquist Special Recognition Award

Honors individuals who have shown dedication to service within AAIC or have effectively promoted the field through education, extension, or industry efforts.

Eligibility:

  • At least 2 years of AAIC membership
  • History of service on AAIC boards or contributions to the profession

Nomination Packet:

  • Nomination letter
  • 2-page CV with emphasis on professional service
  • 1-page statement of impact from service contributions

4. AAIC Student of the Year Award

Open to undergraduate and graduate students conducting exceptional research in industrial crops and/or products.
Students are also encouraged to apply for a travel grant (see Award #6 below).

Eligibility:

  • Students do not need to be AAIC members
  • Nominator or advisor must be a current AAIC member
  • Must attend and present at the AAIC conference

Nomination Packet:

  • Nomination letter
  • 4-page CV highlighting research, publications, and achievements

5. AAIC Best Paper/Poster Presentation Awards

Each division may present a “Best Paper” award (certificate) for oral or poster presentations at the Annual Meeting.
A minimum of three presentations per session is required for the award to be given. Sessions may be combined across divisions if necessary.

6. AAIC Student Travel Grants

To help cover expenses for attending and presenting research at the AAIC and IOCC Annual Meetings, AAIC will provide a travel grant of at least $1,000 to students who apply and are accepted for funding.

Eligibility:

  • Students do not need to be AAIC members
  • Must attend and present their research in person

Application Packet:

  • Brief letter stating the student’s current research and career goals
  • Abstract of the research (Word document format following
    AAIC guidelines)
  • Letter of support from their major professor

Deadline: May 15, 2025

Awardees will be notified by June 15, 2025.

Submission Instructions for All Awards

Completed nomination or application packets must be submitted by May 15, 2025 to:

Dr. Ana Luisa Fernando
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
📧 [email protected]