The sustainability of our planet and its peoples is threatened today by global issues including climate change, depletion of many natural resources and disease. Locally the sustainability of individual lives, especially the most disadvantaged, is threatened by hunger, lack of adequate potable water, and lack of educational opportunities.
The $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability honors inventors whose products or processes are in areas that impact issues of global relevance, and also issues that may have more local significance, such meeting basic human needs and building sustainable livelihoods for the world’s poor people.
Improving Lives through Sustainable Invention
To foster technological invention in the area of sustainability, the Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability celebrates outstanding inventors whose technological products or processes collectively:
enhance human development;
mitigate human environmental impact; and/or
provide adaptations to environmental changes that are unalterable in the near term. These types of changes often adversely impact the most vulnerable populations.
Through their work, successful candidates help to ensure effective pathways for global coexistence and the vitality of future generations.
The Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability seeks to:
celebrate individuals whose inventions and innovations enhance economic opportunity and community well-being in developing and/or developed countries, while protecting and restoring the natural environment;
encourage broad dissemination of invention(s) in order to achieve maximum impact;
foster continued inventive work focused on sustainability challenges and opportunities;
increase awareness of the importance of local or global sustainability issues; and
promote inventor role models that can inspire young people to pursue creative lives and careers in sustainable inventiveness.
Technological invention is the process of devising and producing —
by independent investigation, experimentation, and mental activity — something that is useful and that was not previously known or existing. Technological invention involves advances in the art and science of creatively applying knowledge for use in non-routine problem solving or new opportunity creation. This form of invention results in a wide range of outputs (i.e., new technological products or processes) that can have a positive impact upon human development. Invention is the "wellspring" of innovation; the latter often serves as a conduit for inventions to achieve social benefit..
Technological invention often involves crossing boundaries or past practice and convention, tying together academic disciplines in unexpected ways, redefining not only means but also often the problem itself, and challenging entrenched beliefs about the limits of the possible.
Macro-inventions are [technological] inventions of sufficient import that change the way we live and spawn many improvement inventions, micro-inventions. The Lemelson-MIT Program seeks to recognize the importance and impact of both macro- and micro-technological inventions and evaluates them within their respective economic, social and cultural contexts.
Eligible candidates of the $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability are the following:
U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or foreign nationals currently working legally in the United States
Inventors who have created a product, process or material; made a technology more affordable; redesigned a system; or otherwise demonstrated remarkable technological inventiveness in addressing sustainability across the development continuum
Inventors who can provide evidence that their inventions have been adopted for practical use
Inventors working in an area that ultimately improves quality of life (e.g., quality of air, water or soil; or pertains to health, energy, agriculture, shelter, biodiversity or ecosystem management)
Inventors who are an inspiration to young people, through their creativity, outreach or mentoring activities
Candidates may be individuals or two collaborating inventors, and they must be nominated by one of their peers. Patents are not required for this award, since, in some cases, a key to sustainable impact may require not patenting a technology; however, the caliber of the technology should be such that it could be patented.
Winners will be invited and encouraged to participate in Lemelson-MIT Program activities, including outreach opportunities to inspire young people to pursue creative lives and careers in sustainable inventiveness.
First, complete the online nomination cover letter. Second, after the cover letter has been completed and submitted online, please prepare the 10 sections for the candidate's nomination packet, carefully adhering to the following the instructions:
Copy the section header title, e.g., "Inventor Profile Summary" (indicated in bold) to start and identify each of the 10 sections on a new page in the nomination packet. Thus, each section must be on a separate, unique page from the other sections (e.g., "Inventor Profile Summary" must be on a unique page than "Description of Technological Inventiveness").
Follow the order of the sections as you organize the nomination packet (i.e., 1-10).
Include the section title on a single page and indicate "N/A", if one of the sections is inapplicable to the candidate.
Provide all materials on single-sided 8.5"x11" pages only (no double-sided pages).
Use a 12-point font, preferably "Times New Roman."
Use single spacing for all text.
Set margins no smaller than 1" on left, right, top and bottom.
Strictly observe all page and word limits. The complete nomination packet must be at least 10 pages to fulfill the minimum nomination packet requirements and at most 54 pages.
Restrict the attachment of photos, if applicable, to three places only (1) "Youth Outreach Interest and Experience," (2) "Evidence of Adoption," and (3) "Optional Materials."
Provide completed nomination packet unbound (no hole punches, staples, etc.); paper or binder clip is acceptable.
As a courtesy to the many distinguished individuals who volunteer their time to help make the awards process possible, we ask that you strictly observe all of the guidelines for submission. Please note that nominations that do not follow the above instructions will be disqualified from consideration. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Nominator Disclosure Form
The nominator disclosure form helps to validate the nominator’s knowledge of the nominee, create greater transparency for review, and ensure greater uniformity in the interpretation of nominee and nominator relationships on the part of Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability reviewers. The form should be completed online, printed, and included with the nomination dossier packet. Complete the nominator disclosure form.
Inventor Profile Summary
Why should the candidate be recognized and rewarded? Summarize the candidate's major technologically inventive accomplishments and why he/she is being nominated for the award. Limit the summary to 75 words or one-half of a page. (Please refer to technological invention definition.)
Description of Technological Inventiveness
Expand upon the nominee’s major technological invention(s): What are they, and why are they significant? Describe how the candidate's inventive accomplishments have had or could have a beneficial impact upon society. How could the award potentially enhance the candidate's inventive work? Limit the description to 750 words or two pages. (Please refer to technological invention definition.)
Biography
What distinguishes the candidate? Provide a narrative description that highlights the candidate’s major accomplishments, including important experiences, awards, recognitions, publications, copyrights, trademarks, and invited lectures and conferences. Limit the biography to a one-page summary.
Youth Outreach Interest and Experience
Has the candidate participated or shown an interest in youth outreach? Explain why the candidate might be an exemplary role model for young people. If the candidate is an academic, please describe outreach activities that move beyond what would be typically considered the responsibilities of a faculty member (e.g., student advising). Limit the description to one page.
Curriculum Vitae or Resume
Limit to five pages (summarize where necessary).
Evidence of Adoption
Has this invention been adopted for practical use? Is it already available to intended end users and to what extent (e.g., in prototype form only, in test trials, already being broadly implemented, etc.)? Describe the extent to which it is being disseminated for use and how? How can the impact of its implementation be measured (if applicable)? Limit the description to 10 pages.
Patent Documentation
A maximum of five patent abstracts may be submitted, if applicable. Each of the five patent abstracts should include the patent number, title and authors (list authors in the order in which they appear on the patent documentation). A supplemental list composed of only patent numbers, titles and authors (listed in the order in which they appear on the patent document) may be submitted if the candidate has more than five patents. Limit the supplemental list to three pages; no abstracts will be accepted in this list.
Recommendations
Three letters of recommendation are required, of which one must be submitted by the nominator. The recommendation should address but need not be limited to the candidate’s strengths as an inventor and as an inventor role model; an assessment of the value of the inventor’s contributions to his/her field; and a specific description of differentiating characteristics that help to set the candidate apart from other inventors in his/her field.
Recommenders should describe their affiliation with the candidate and specifically disclose any material relationships to the candidate (e.g., co-investor, current business partner, former business partner, etc.).
The letters should also be on official letterhead or otherwise state the recommender’s full name, title, employer, department, address, email address, telephone and fax number. Limit each letter to two pages.
Optional Materials
Other pertinent materials to support the candidate's achievements may be provided, such as professional articles and press clippings. Limit to 10 pages.
Learn more about previous Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability recipients in our Winners' Circle.
Send the original nomination packet (unbound, single-sided) to the Lemelson-MIT Program office via FedEx, DHL, or UPS ONLY. We will not accept nomination packets sent through United States Postal Service (USPS) standard mail or USPS special delivery.
Mailing Address The Lemelson-MIT Program
Attn: Lemelson-MIT Awards
MIT School of Engineering
30 Memorial Dr., E60-215
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-253-3352
Information about the candidate presented in the nomination packet may be used to prepare public educational materials, if the candidate is selected as the award recipient. If you have questions after carefully reviewing all of the instructions, please contact the Lemelson-MIT Program Officer, lemelson_awards@mit.edu.
