Overview
AFCEA's Award for Excellence in Defense Scientific & Technical Intelligence recognizes achievements for the 2024 calendar year. The award is sponsored by the Intelligence Committee of AFCEA International, a nonprofit association dedicated to improving the breadth, depth and scope of national security dialogue in the fields of intelligence, cyber, defense, homeland security and their associated technologies.
Award Eligibility and Criteria
Two awards will be given: an individual award and a team award. The individual award is open to active duty and reserve members of the armed forces and to federal government employees. The team award is open to the same categories as the individual award, plus civilian contractor employees.
Nominees must have made a specific, demonstrable contribution to the advancement of scientific and technical intelligence in one or more of the following categories:
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Foundational Military Intelligence
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Intelligence Analysis
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Intelligence Innovation
Note: Nominations in this category may include efforts that led to “fast learning,” i.e., the initial objective was not achieved but the resultant failure or unanticipated outcome informed timely reassessment of the problem and guided follow-on activity or investments.
Nominations should address accomplishment within one or more of the categories above. In addition to the inherent value of nominations within the categories above, the selection panel will consider submissions that recognize the doctrinal, financial, organizational, or other dimensions of the categories above. All submissions should highlight exceptional initiative, leadership, and professional insight. Each nominating organization is limited to a single individual and team submission. Nominations must be unclassified. A short, classified supplement can be submitted separately but is not required.
Nominations and Presentation
Awardees will be selected from nominations received from individual commands or agencies that are subordinate to one of the eighteen intelligence community organizations. Nominations must be on letterhead, be submitted by email in PDF format and must not contain any Personally Identifiable Information. Nominations for members of the Senior Executive Service, Commanding Officers or Officers-in-Charge must be signed by their Immediate Superior in Command.
Letters of endorsement and letters of recommendation are neither required nor desired. Nominations must be submitted no later than January 14, 2025. Email the completed form to Kisha Watson at kwatson@afcea.org.
Individual Submission Form Team Submission Form
Selection
A selection panel of current and former intelligence community leaders – including representatives from the private sector and academia - will select the awardees. Winners will be announced approximately one month in advance of the award presentations at the annual AFCEA International Spring Intelligence Symposium on April 1-2, 2025 at the NGA Campus East Conference Center in Springfield, Virginia.