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 accepts Senior Member nominations year-round and reviews and elects Senior Members biannually. All nominations submitted from January 1 – June 30 will be reviewed by the Senior Member Advisory Committee (SMAC) in July and elected Senior Members will be announced in August. All nominations submitted from July 1 – December 31 will be reviewed by the SMAC in January and elected Senior Members will be announced in February. Nominees who are not elected will have their nominations automatically reconsidered for the one and a half years. Nominees who are not elected after 1 and a half years of consideration must wait one year before being reconsidered. 

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)
    • If self-nominating: Statement of Purpose on letterhead
    • If not self-nominating: Nomination Letter from an NAI Affiliate on letterhead
      • Examples of an NAI Affiliate include: NAI Fellow, NAI Member Institution Representative, NAI Senior Member, and NAI Board Member.

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Senior Member Dues

Annual membership: $150 

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