Nomination Process

    Eligibility for Selection

    • At a minimum, candidates must demonstrate a high degree of innovation by holding one issued U.S. patent that has been licensed or commercialized and/or possess five or more issued U.S. patents
    • Candidates must be in professional practice or research in his/her current field for at least seven years
    • Candidate must be affiliated with an NAI Member Institution
    • Deceased candidates are not eligible
    • Self-nominations are accepted

    Please Note: Because NAI Fellows are recognized in the highest degree from the National Academy of Inventors, they are not eligible for Senior Membership consideration

    Nomination Timeline

    The Academy will now accept Senior Member nominations from NAI Member institutions, annually from October – December. Once the nomination period closes, candidates will be reviewed by the Senior Member Advisory Committee (SMAC) and elected Senior Members will be announced on February 14, 2023. Nominees who are not elected will have their nominations automatically reconsidered for the next 2 years automatically and nominators will have the opportunity to edit the nomination during the next nomination period.

    NOTE: Once elected, Senior Members are not eligible for nomination for NAI Fellow the following spring nomination cycle but are encouraged to be nominated in future years as their career progresses.

    Required Materials for Nomination

    • NAI Senior Member Application (submitted online)
      • Nominee’s contact information
      • Summary of professional experience: to include affiliated institutions, titles held, and overall institutional impact
      • Impact Statement: describe how the nominee’s commercialization efforts have affected public welfare and the overall economic development on his/her community
      • Summary of evidence of mentorship: describe how the nominee has mentored the next generation of inventors
    • Supplemental Documents (submitted online)
      • Nominee’s full Curriculum Vitae
      • Complete list of issued U.S. patent(s)
      • Nomination Letter of support from your NAI institution on letterhead.
        • Examples include a support letter from a NAI Fellow or Senior Member, Member Institution Representative, or NAI Board Member.

    Click here to nominate a Senior Member

    Senior Member Dues

    Annual membership: $180 ($140 is tax deductible)

    Senior Elite membership $1800 ($1404 is tax deductible)

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