Major Awards

AIAA reserves its Major Awards for those individuals who, through their outstanding performance, contribution, or deeds, merit the highest accolade the Institute can bestow. Two awards of equal prestige have been established, one in the field of aeronautics, the other in astronautics.

The AIAA Foundation honors organization or individuals for unique contributions and extraordinary accomplishments through its prestigious Award for Excellence.

Technical Awards
Technical Awards honor significant achievement in specific fields of aerospace technical expertise. Because the respective AIAA Technical Committee for each field conducts the award and selection process, the most current and appropriate candidates are recognized.

Service Awards
While the Institute is measured by the distinguished professional performance of its members and the technical advances in the aerospace sciences that it promotes through publications and conferences, much of the Institute’s success is the result of dedicated performance by individual members. The Service Awards bestowed in this category recognize these outstanding performances.

Publication Awards
Aerospace science and technology is recorded and handed down to students, scholars, historians, practicing professionals, and the general public primarily through the written word. These awards honor those who perform this function best in the worlds of aeronautics and astronautics.

Distinguished Lectureship Awards
Distinguished Lectureship Awards are unique in AIAA’s honors and awards program, because not only does it honor particular individuals, it also provides a means for awardees to share their technological gifts with AIAA membership and the public at large. These lecturers publicly present the finest thinking and technology in astronautics and aeronautics. There are four awards in this category, one for each of the general areas of aerospace research, public service, astronautics, and aeronautics.

Education Awards
AIAA’s Education Awards salutes aerospace academic institutions, faculty, and student members in AIAA branches throughout the country.

International Awards
The aerospace field has a rich history of ground-breaking work conducted throughout the world. AIAA International Awards recognize the contributions of international aerospace scientists, engineers, planners, and managers as well as the increasing importance of international cooperation to the continued growth and development of the industry.

Certificates of Merit/Special Service Citations
Certificate of Merit
Established in 1978 to promote technical and scientific excellence, Certificates of Merit may be given in connection with a nationally sponsored AIAA activity. It is of the utmost importance that these awards in no way duplicates or interferes with AIAA Technical Awards. The certificates of merit must not be referred to as “awards.” For example, some AIAA Technical Committee’s chose to present Certificates of Merit to honor the “Best Paper” presented at a previous technical conference, an AIAA conference organizing committee may chose to present a certificate of merit to a lecturer in connection with a technical conference, etc.

Special Service Citation
The AIAA Region and Section Activities Committee awards an AIAA Special Service Citation to deserving individuals in recognition of their voluntary contributions of time and effort, which have substantially and uniquely benefited an AIAA Region, Section or Student Branch.

Honors and Awards, Special Service Citations >

Section Awards
Section Awards honor particularly notable performances by a section of the Institute working as a unit, rather than the accomplishment of an individual member. It is intended to formally underscore the AIAA conviction that intellectually stimulating section activity is fundamental to a healthy Institute.

Joint Society/Organization Awards
AIAA proudly participates with other technical societies and organizations in the selection of awards recipients for seven Joint Society/Organization Awards.