| Awards |
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AWARDS
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| Aug. 31, 2025 | Peer-Reviewed (PR) submitted online by this date |
| Sep. 3-15, 2025 | Selection panel meets virtually to select award recipients for peer-reviewed award categories |
| Oct. 1, 2025 | Outstanding Achievement Awards (OAA) submitted online by this date |
| Oct. 13-17, 2025 | Formal notification letters sent to nominators |
| Oct. 20-24, 2025 | Notification letters sent to awardees |
| Nov. 2025 | Registration opens for all award recipients and nominators |
| Feb. 2026 | 2025 BEYA STEM DTX™ Conference |
| Apr. 30, 2025 | Peer-Reviewed (PR) nominations sent for receipt in our office by this date |
| May 7-19, 2025 | Selection panel meets virtually to select award recipients for peer-reviewed award categories |
| May 15, 2025 | Nomination applications for Outstanding Achievement Awards (OAA) due |
| June 2025 | Formal notification letters sent to nominators |
| June 2025 | Formal notification letters sent to awardees one week later |
| June 2025 | Registration opens for all award recipients and nominators |
| October 23-25, 2025 | 2025 Women of Color STEM DTX™ Conference |
These awards are granted to individuals in the workforce. These nomination applications are reviewed and recommended for an award by a panel of leaders from industry, government, and academia.
The nominee is beyond the midpoint (with 22 years or more in the workforce) of his or her career but not close to retirement age, and has made significant achievements in engineering titles in industry or government. The committee looks less at the degrees earned than at the body of work produced by the nominee, its broad, social and economic value and impact, and the nominee's performance as a role model and mentor for minorities in technology.
The nominee package should show:
1. The uniqueness of the nominee's obtained goal
2. The discipline required to achieve the nominee's level of performance
3. The nominee's triumph over obstacles in the field
4. The nominee's potential as a role model for youth
5. Quality of supporting documentation
The nominee has demonstrated leadership in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) communities through volunteer work, contributions, and other such activities that are not included in his or her job duties.
The nomination package should show:
1. The nominee's potential as a role model
2. The time and energy the nominee devotes to serving the community
3. The nominee's efforts to promote STEM or other professional development through community service.
4. Quality of supporting documentation
A person who has demonstrated efforts to promote affirmative action in the approach of his or her organization or small-business equivalent to advancement in education, job promotion, small-business development, and community activities. Successful nominees may lead small-business purchasing and support small-business development and entrepreneurship, as well as human resources initiatives.
The nomination package should show:
1. The nominee's effectiveness at attracting minorities to the organization
2. The nominee's success in improving the organization's policies of hiring and retaining minorities or promoting minority businesses
3. The nominee's contributions to affirmative action [diversity initiatives] or small business development
4. Quality of supporting documentation
1. The success of the programs at the nominee's company
2. The impact of the programs on schools, colleges and universities with which the nominee's company interacts
3. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of the society and the corporate and public sectors
4. The impact on underserved minorities seeking careers in STEM at the nominee's company and elsewhere.
5. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest about STEM among women, racial and ethnic minorities.
6. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee owns 50 percent or more of a thriving, minority-owned scientific, engineering, or technical company, or a significant percentage of a majority firm, with strong financial growth and more than 10 employees.
The nomination package should show:
1. The nominee's ability to recognize and capitalize on technical growth sectors
2. The nominee's effect on redesigning an existing product
3. The nominee's leadership and management skills that led to earnings growth and expansion of operations
4. The impact of the nominee's business on the community, demonstrated by increased employment, job training, and minority opportunity
5. The nominee's contributions to the growth of engineering technology
6. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee must be an engineer, in the early years (approximately 3 to 10 years in the workforce) of his or her career, who demonstrates tremendous potential for future technical contributions.
The nomination package should show:
1. The uniqueness of the nominee's contributions to the organization
2. The nominee's leadership abilities and initiative
3. The nominee's professional and technical achievements
4. The nominee's potential for advancement
5. The social and/or economic value of the development
6. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee must be a scientist, in the early years (approximately 3 to 10 years in the workforce) of his or her career, who demonstrates tremendous potential for future scientific contributions.
The nomination package should show:
1. The uniqueness of the nominee's contributions to the organization
2. The nominee's leadership abilities and initiative
3. The nominee's professional and technical achievements
4. The nominee's potential for achievement
5. Quality of supporting documentation
A person performing technological functions, who has designed, developed, managed, or assisted in the development of a product, service, system, or intellectual property that is a substantial achievement in the field. The overall impact of the technological achievement is the prime consideration, regardless of title or degrees earned. The committee sees a nominee that offers broad impact and high value to society as a whole.
The nomination package should show:
1. The uniqueness of the development
2. The innovation of the development
3. The uniqueness of the design
4. The social and/or economic value of the development
5. Quality of supporting documentation
A highly experienced, mid-career (with 21 years or less in the workforce) STEM professional who has made significant discoveries, made important advances in his or her chosen STEM career path, and is acknowledged as a leader of large STEM initiatives. Here, the specific degree earned is less relevant than the significance of the work and the nominee's achievement as a role model for others in the field.
The nomination package should show:
1. The uniqueness of the nominee's achievements
2. The discipline required achieving the nominee's level of performance
3. The nominee's triumph over obstacles in the field
4. The nominee's potential as a role model for youth
5. Quality of supporting documentation
The nominee works in research and development and is a consistent leader in discovering, developing, and implementing new technologies. His/her impact radiates out into the product line, changing the way in which people live and work.
The nomination package should show:
1. Uniqueness of the discovery
2. New products or new ways that they are used
3. Patents produced
4. Impact on his/her industry
5. Quality of supporting documentation
The nominee works in research and development and is a consistent leader in advancing basic science knowledge or discovering, developing, and implementing entirely new technologies. The effects of this person's work radiate out into the product line, changing the way we live and work.
The nomination package should show:
1. Uniqueness of the discovery
2. New products or new ways that they are used
3. Patents produced
4. Impact on his/her industry
5. Quality of supporting documentation
The nominee for this award works in R&D and translates basic science discoveries into inventions. This winner dreams up new devices and processes by using the research labs' discoveries, and leads R&D teams doing so; or, by virtue of his or her leadership position on the forefront of technical innovations, serves as a role model and leader for minorities and women.
The nomination package should show:
1. Uniqueness of the product or process
2. Innovation in bringing it to full implementation or production
3. Impact on the corporate product line
4. Budget or income impact
5. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee combines technical expertise with marketing skills in a high-level position. The award recipient not only sells the products of cutting-edge technology, but also participates in development of product lines and marketing plans on a national and international scale.
The nomination package should show:
1. The nominee's deep understanding of technology, regardless of degrees earned
2. The nominee's extensive background in marketing technology
3. Major roles the nominee has played in product decisions, marketing strategy, and pricing decisions
4. Major impact the nominee has made on company profitability
5. Quality of supporting documentation
These awards are granted to individuals in the workforce. These nomination applications are reviewed and recommended for an award by a panel of leaders from industry, government, and academia.
Nominee must be a collegiate faculty or administrative staffer who has demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving superior engineering, scientific and technical education programs.
The nominee package should show:
1. The success of the programs at the nominee's school
2. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of the society and the corporate and public sectors
3. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest in STEM among women, racial and ethnic minorities
4. The impact on underserved minorities and students seeking careers in STEM
5. Quality of supporting documentation
Nominee must be a teacher or educator with a demonstrated commitment to enhancing STEM career opportunities for women and minorities through promotion of STEM education programs and exemplary teaching and outreach activities.
The nominee package should show:
1. The success of the programs at the nominee's school
2. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of the society and the corporate and public sectors
3. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest in STEM among women, racial and ethnic minorities
4. The impact on underserved students seeking careers in STEM
5. Quality of supporting documentation
Award recipients are GEM fellowships from the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science Inc. These award recipients have demonstrated excellence in their work as graduate or postgraduate students or have carried their status as outstanding achievers into the professional ranks.
The nomination packet should show:
1. The impact of the nominee's responsibilities
2. The effect of the nominee's achievements on the organization or facility
3. The breadth of community outreach activities
4. the effect on other minorities seeking science and technology careers
5. Quality of the supporting documentation
This award recognizes an undergraduate or graduate student with creative verve and an accomplished academic record. The nominee should have inspiring grades and a proven desire to help others to succeed. Awards are granted separately for student leadership as undergraduates and as graduate students.
The nomination packet should show:
1. The nominees' extracurricular activities
2. The nominee's academic achievements
3. Impact on other students and their future interests
4. Role model potential
5. Value of contributions to society
6. Quality of supporting documentation
These awards are granted to individuals in the workforce. These nomination applications are reviewed and recommended for an award by a panel of leaders from industry, government, and academia.
These awardees are bright women and men who are shaping the future of engineering, science, and technology.
Trailblazers are men and women actively creating new paths for others in science, research, technology, and development. Some are experienced executives who continuously seek innovative products or lines of thought, some are breaking new ground at the midpoint of their careers, and others are recent graduates who show pioneering promise. But regardless of their career point, they distinguish themselves by constantly setting their sights higher, striving to innovate and open doors for others.
These awards are granted to individuals in the workforce. These nomination applications are reviewed and recommended for an award by a panel of leaders from industry, government and academia.
This award recognizes an employee who is at or beyond the midpoint of her career (with 22 years or more in the workforce) whose experience enhances her job, division, and organization. She is a leader who manages others with sensitivity as well as strategic insight.
The nominee package should show:
1. Accomplishments
2. Performance management
3. Ability to negotiate professional obstacles
4. Role model potential
5. Quality of supporting documentation
This award recognizes an employee who uses technology in novel ways to improve access to jobs and educational opportunities, and boost understanding of technology's potential to improve access to useful services, resources and information.
The nomination package should show:
1. Role model potential
2. Cultural capital
3. Promotion of technology through community service
4. Professional development through community service
5. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee is an innovator in the delivery of benefits to under-represented communities through corporate largess. This nominee bolsters the corporate resolve to move mountains on behalf of community improvement. Through her work, her corporation makes major commitments to provide technology tools and educational services for minority youth and adults and to put budgetary backbone into community development efforts.
The nomination package should show:
1. Innovation in women-oriented practices
2. Changes in corporate policies and priorities
3. Number of women and minorities affected
4. Breadth of her influence within the organization
5. Impact on communities outside her organization
6. Quality of supporting documentation
1. The nominee's effectiveness at attracting minorities to the organization
2. The nominee's success in improving the organization's policies of hiring and retaining minorities or promoting minority businesses
3. The nominee's contributions to small business development
4. Quality of supporting documentation
Nominee must be a manager of education programs or other staff member from private enterprise who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to enhancing the opportunities for minorities in technology careers through promotion of scientific and technical education programs.
The nomination package should show:
1. The success of the programs at the nominee's company
2. TThe impact of the programs on schools, colleges and universities with which the nominee's company interacts
3. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of the society and the corporate and public sectors
4. The impact on underserved minorities seeking careers in STEM at the nominee's company and elsewhere
5. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest about STEM among women, racial and ethnic minorities
6. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee shows strong leadership in the development of financial technology products, devices, or processes. The nominee has strong role model potential for women in STEM.
The nomination package should show:
1. Product or process value
2. Impact on organization
3. Impact on budgetary decisions or gross revenues
4. Role model potential
5. Quality of supporting documentation
The nominee must be a woman whose accomplishments in leading and managing a laboratory, a company or a significant part of a technology enterprise make her stand out. The committee is looking for a person whose career choices serve as an example to women working to move beyond what are considered traditional roles for women.
The nomination package should show:
1. Innovation
2. Breadth of responsibilities
3. Organizational size
4. Budget impact of her decisions
5. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee is a woman working in Internet media who has a driving role in either the development of new technology or the management of technical facilities.
The nomination package should show:
1. Impact of nominee's technical contributions
2. Impact of contributions to the organization
3. Value of nominee's contribution
4. Role model potential
5. Quality of supporting documentation
A woman performing technological functions, who has designed, developed, managed, or assisted in the development of a product, service, system, or intellectual property that is a substantial achievement in the field. The overall impact of the technological achievement is the prime consideration, regardless of title or degrees earned. The committee sees a nominee that offers broad impact and high value to society as a whole.
The nomination package should show:
1. The uniqueness of the development
2. The innovation of the development
3. The uniqueness of the design
4. The social and/or economic value of the development
5. Quality of supporting documentation
This award recognizes a mid-career professional (with 21 years or less in the workforce) with significant accomplishments in an engineering or technology industry, or government agency. The nominee's academic qualifications are of less relevance than the impact of her achievements as a leader and role model.
The nomination package should show:
1. Value of nominee's accomplishments
2. Performance management
3. Meeting professional challenges
4. Role model potential
5. Quality of supporting documentation
This nominee invents a new product, device, or process; leads technology development teams; or develops new ways to use the product or process. She also serves as a stereotype-breaking role model for women in technology.
The nomination package should show:
1. Product or process value
2. Implementation or production
3. Impact on corporate product line
4. Impact on budgetary decisions or gross revenues
5. Quality of supporting documentation
These awards are granted to individuals in the academic community. The nomination applications are reviewed and recommended for an award by a panel of leaders from industry, government, and academia.
Nominee must be a collegiate faculty or administrative staffer who has demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving superior engineering, scientific and technical education programs.
The nominee package should show:
1. The success of the programs at the nominee's school
2. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of the society and the corporate and public sectors
3. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest in STEM among women, racial and ethnic minorities
4. The impact on under-served minorities [students] seeking careers in STEM
5. Quality of supporting documentation
Nominee must be a teacher or educator with a demonstrated commitment to enhancing STEM career opportunities for women and minorities through promotion of STEM education programs and exemplary teaching and outreach activities.
The nomination package should show:
1. The success of the programs at the nominee's school
2. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of the society and the corporate and public sectors
3. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest in STEM among women, racial and ethnic minorities
4. The impact on under-served students seeking careers in STEM
5. Quality of supporting documentation
Award recipients are GEM fellowships from the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science Inc. These award recipients have demonstrated excellence in their work as graduate or postgraduate students or have carried their status as outstanding achievers into the professional ranks.
The nomination packet should show:
1. The impact of the nominee's responsibilities
2. The effect of the nominee's achievements on the organization or facility
3. The breadth of community outreach activities
4. the effect on other minorities seeking science and technology careers
5. Quality of the supporting documentation
This award recognizes an undergraduate or graduate student with creative verve and an accomplished academic record. The nominee should have inspiring grades and a proven desire to help others to succeed. Awards are granted separately for student leadership as undergraduates and as graduate students.
The nomination package should show:
1. The nominees' extracurricular activities
2. The nominee's academic achievements
3. Impact on other students and their future interests
4. Role model potential
5. Value of contributions to society
6. Quality of supporting documentation
These awards are granted to individuals in the workforce and are recommended for these awards by their employer.
Technology All-Stars are accomplished women of color from mid-level to advanced stages of her career (with 22 years or more in the workforce) that have demonstrated excellence in the workplace and in their communities. They are honored at a special recognition event during the Women of Color STEM DTX Conference.
Rising Stars are young women, with 21 years or less in the workforce, who are helping to shape technology for the future. They are honored at a special recognition event during the Women of Color STEM DTX Conference.
Top Women in Finance are superstars in the financial sector. Whether they work at a financial institution, in retail, for the defense industry, or the government, they are leaders in their field while promoting diversity and serving as a role model.
All nominations are to be submitted online using our nominations portal.
Getting Started
What is required to complete the nomination package?
Determine who in your organization should be considered as a nominee. For maximum impact, we suggest:
We understand that the process can seem overwhelming. We are here to help with any questions or concerns that comes your way in preparing your employee nomination package. Please direct any questions you have to your account manager or submit them online to nominations@ccgmag.com
Include the following items in the same order as indicated below. We do not accept faxed copies of nomination packages. Apply online by visiting www.ccgheroes.com. You will be required to upload two different PDF files: the nomination package and the nomination form.
Incomplete packages will not be accepted.
Cover Page
This should contain the conference name and year; name and title of the nominee, nominee’s organization’s name, and the award category.
Table of Contents
Lists all of the items below and the page numbers where each item begins.
Cover letter / Reason for nomination
The first document of the nomination package should be a one or two-page letter by the nominator, clearly stating why the candidate is being nominated. Please be aware that the higher the level of the nominator, the greater the impact. The letter should spell out why the candidate should be recognized in the selected award classification. It should discuss as well the impact of the candidate’s contributions to the company and give some idea of the value to society of the candidate’s performance, on and off the job.
Nomination form (writable PDF)
If the nomination form is illegible, the package will be rejected.
Current biographies or resume
The panel looks for a career path. They also look for important technical breakthroughs.
The nominee’s biography is considered the most important part of a nominee’s nomination package. This is the point where all crucial decisions, career changes, community involvement, etc. should be concisely detailed in a one to two page document. Carefully select high points that truly show the nominee’s talents, leadership skills, and various innovations.
Full job description or curriculum vitae
The panel may know nothing about the candidate’s field. They look for a job description that explains his or her work experience. Why is it important? Is it groundbreaking? The job description should distinguish the nominee.
Organizational Chart
Who is the candidate? How important is he or she within the organization? An organizational chart should give the selection panel an idea of where the nominee fits within his or her department and organization.
Papers and articles by and about the nominee
The selection panel respects research. Because it is very unlikely that the selection panel will have time to read the material, we have asked nominators to enclose a brief summary highlighting the main points of each article.
Letters of recommendation
Although the selection panel will not penalize candidates without letters of recommendation, letters from a well-placed person can mean a lot. Letters from others outside the organization, who know about outside activities or about the value of the person’s contributions in the field, are also helpful.
Other significant supporting materials (i.e. patents, awards, academic record, etc.)
The panel will be looking for personal history information explaining the candidate’s background, struggles and achievements, awards or certificates received, patents received or pending.
Recent color photograph. Acceptable formats include the following:
Color or black & white photographs — maximum size 8”x10”; minimum size 5”x7”
Digital photographs — High-resolution only. Minimum 300 dpi resolution. EPS, JPEG, or TIFF format. Minimum size 5”x7”. Please DO NOT send photos in Microsoft Word or in PowerPoint.
Save files as "firstname_lastname.filetype.” such as John_Smith.jpg
Include the following items in the same order as indicated below. We do not accept faxed copies of nomination packages. Apply online by visiting www.ccgheroes.com. You will be required to upload two different PDF files: the nomination package and the nomination form.
Incomplete packages will not be accepted.
Cover letter / Reason for nomination
The first document of the nomination package should be a one or two page letter written and signed by the nominator, clearly stating why the candidate is being nominated. Please be aware that the higher the level of the nominator, the greater the impact. The letter should spell out why the candidate should be recognized in the selected award classification. It should discuss as well the impact of the candidate’s contributions to the company and give some idea of the value to society of the candidate’s performance, on and off the job.
Nomination form (writable PDF)
If the nomination form is illegible, the package will be rejected.
Current biographies or resume
The panel looks for a career path. They also look for important technical breakthroughs.
The nominee’s biography is considered the most important part of a nominee’s nomination package. This is the point where all crucial decisions, career changes, community involvement, etc. should be concisely detailed in a one to two page document. Carefully select high points that truly show the nominee’s talents, leadership skills, and various innovations.
Recent color photograph. Acceptable formats include the following:
Color or black & white photographs — maximum size 8”x10”; minimum size 5”x7”
Digital photographs — High-resolution only. Minimum 300 dpi resolution. EPS, JPEG, or TIFF format. Minimum size 5”x7”. Please DO NOT send photos in Microsoft Word or in PowerPoint.
Save files as "firstname_lastname.filetype.” such as John_Smith.jpg
Include the following items in the same order as indicated below. We do not accept faxed copies of nomination packages. Apply online by visiting www.ccgheroes.com. You will be required to upload two different PDF files: the nomination package and the nomination form.
Incomplete packages will not be accepted.
Each Nomination package for a Student Leadership Award should be uploaded as a single PDF file and include the following items in the same order as below.
Supporting materials
Award winners are notified by email the week after the nominator is notified. Refer to the schedule above.
Award winners will receive information about:
Non-Winners are notified by email the week after the nominator is notified
Non-Winners will receive information about:
Nominators are notified by email after the meeting of the selection panel. Refer to the schedule above.
Nominators will receive information about:
There are two groups of awards granted at our conferences. The peer-reviewed (PR) awards are extensive and go through the rigor of a selection panel review to determine which candidates are granted awards. We recommend that you pay close attention to the selection criteria for each of the award categories. The selection panel will not review incomplete applications. Also, make sure that you follow the checklist before submitting your application.
The second group of award applications, the outstanding achievement awards (OAA), require less preparation and are employer recommendations for the candidate to receive an award. These applications are not subjected to review by a selection panel. Note that the deadline for this group of awards is after the deadline for the peer-reviewed applications.
In all categories of peer-reviewed awards, letters of recommendation from managers and executives within the hierarchy of the nominee's place of employment weigh heavily in the committee's consideration of the impact of the nominee's achievements.
Descriptions of the scope of the nominee's responsibilities, effect of the achievements on the company or facility, breadth of community outreach activities, and effect on other minorities seeking science and technology careers are very important.
Letters describing responses by community leaders and other interested parties to the nominee's activities and achievements also will be considered.
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