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Information for the 2026 AAAS Fellows Cycle

• Reminder: No Fellow may serve as a sponsor on more than two 3-Fellow nominations in any given year.

• Verification of nominee eligibility is required in advance of submission. Please email fellownomination@aaas.org with the potential nominee’s name and institution to obtain verification.

• Nominations may only be submitted by the primary sponsor or a designee (for example, an assistant, etc.) A nominee cannot submit their own nomination or act as a designee.

The Executive Office invites groups of three previously elected AAAS Fellows in good standing to nominate eligible AAAS members for election as Fellows. The 2026 Fellows nomination cycle will be open from January 31, 2026 to April 17, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET.

A member whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished and who has been a continuous member for the four-year period leading up to the year of nomination, may, by virtue of such meritorious contribution be elected a Fellow by the Council.

Examples of areas in which nominees may have made significant contributions are research; teaching; technology; services to professional societies; administration in academe, industry, and government; and communicating and interpreting science to the public. Fellows are elected annually by the AAAS Council from the list of approved nominations from the Section Steering Committee. AAAS strongly encourages nominating a full representation of communities that are underrepresented in science. This includes women, members of minority groups, and persons with disabilities. Fellows are expected to uphold the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

 Please review the details below for submission instructions.

Deadline:

The deadline for receipt of all nomination materials is April 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

Nomination packets must be complete, and all nomination materials must be received by the deadline.

Nominations received after the deadline or nominations with missing material at the time of the deadline will not be considered. No exceptions will be made.

Requirements for Sponsors:

• Only previously elected AAAS Fellows who are current in their membership and in good standing may serve as sponsors.
• No Fellow may serve as a sponsor on more than two 3-Fellow nominations in any given year.
• Only one of the three sponsors may be affiliated with the same institution as that of the nominee.
• Download Full 2026 Sponsor Guidelines

Reminder: Each sponsor must also complete, sign and submit the "AAAS 3-Fellow Letter of Recommendation Addendum" with their letter of recommendation. Letters of recommendation without addendums will not be considered.

Requirement for Nominees:

Eligibility for nomination requires an individual to have been a continuous member (with no lapses in membership) of AAAS since December 31, 2022, or earlier. Members who joined after the December 31, 2022, cutoff date are not eligible for the 2026 cycle.

Required Nomination Materials:

The primary sponsor is responsible for submitting all materials by the deadline, including all three sponsor letters and accompanying addendums. Only one application should be submitted per nominee.

Before you begin the application process, please be sure to gather the following information, including:

• Nominee’s full name
• Institution
• Professional address
• Home address (optional)
• Email address
• Current position
• Education
• Past positions
• Select membership in professional organizations
• Select contributions to the advancement of science
• Select awards, honors, citations, and special appointments
• The full CV of the nominee must be submitted, including a complete list of publications. Bio sketches will not be accepted.
• A separate list of the top 10 most influential publications of the nominee
• A designation of which AAAS Section should review the nomination. The nominee's contributions/achievements should be relevant to the designated Section.
• A citation of no more than 25-30 words to describe the nominee. Ex:
  • “For distinguished contributions to the field of computational and theoretical chemistry, particularly for theoretical modeling and predictions of new applications of modern laser science.”
  • “For distinguished contributions to the field of molecular and translational neuroscience, particularly using somatic cell gene transfer to study neuronal physiology and treat human disease.”

• Three signed letters of recommendation from each Sponsor on letterhead along with a completed and signed "AAAS 3-Fellow Letter of Recommendation Addendum." It is important that all three letters in support of a nominee be informational, with a clear indication of the areas in which a nominee has contributed and sufficient explanation of why election as a Fellow is justified. Sponsor letters without addendums will not be accepted.

Tips:

1. To see a sample of the questions on the nomination form, please reference this informational form:
   • Sample 2026 3-Fellow Submission Form
   • Note that this is to be used only as an informational reference; all documents and materials must be submitted via our online portal. Please note that some wording may differ slightly.
      
2. Early bird deadline: You are strongly encouraged to submit the nomination well ahead of the deadline. If you submit a complete nomination by April 3, 2026 our office will be able to check for completion and let you know whether there are any missing components. This will allow you time to correct any mistakes before the deadline.
   
   Nominations are reviewed in the order received. Nominations submitted closer to the deadline may potentially not be checked for completion until the deadline has passed, which means there will be no time to correct any errors that could cause the nomination to be disqualified.

If you have any questions on the 3-Fellow nomination process, please contact fellownomination@aaas.org