ACM Prize in Computing

Overview

The ACM Prize in Computing recognizes an early to mid-career fundamental, innovative contribution in computing that, through its depth, impact and broad implications, exemplifies the greatest achievements in the discipline. The award is given for achievements during the early years of an individual's career, although enough time must have passed to clearly establish evidence of impact (i.e., candidates are typically within 8-16 years of the terminal degree, with consideration made for interrupted or second careers).  Nominated candidates may remain in consideration for a few years after their nomination.  The award is presented each June at the ACM Awards Banquet and is accompanied by a prize of $250,000 plus travel expenses to the banquet.  Financial support for the award is provided by Infosys Ltd.

Next Deadline

December 15, 2025  - End of Day, Anywhere on Earth (AoE), UTC -12 hrs.

Selection Criteria

Nominations will be reviewed for the candidate’s personal contributions to a major innovation that has impact on computing theory or practice. While a sufficient amount of time must have elapsed for the degree of impact to be assessed, the contribution should be relatively recent (typically within the last decade or so). While there are no specific requirements as to age or time since last degree requirements, the nominee typically would be approaching mid-career. Nominators are advised to review the list of previous winners of the award to gain an impression of its scope and nature.

Submissions

Nominations for the ACM Prize in Computing Award should be submitted using the online nomination form.  Guidelines for nominators and endorsers can be found here. Each nomination involves several components:

• Name, address, phone number, and email address of nominator (person making the nomination). The most appropriate person to submit a nomination would be a recognized member of the community who is not from the same organization as the candidate and who can address the candidate's impact on the broader community.
• Name, address, and email address of the candidate (person being nominated). It is ACM's policy not to tell candidates who has nominated or endorsed them.
• Nominators will be required to indicate whether they are aware of any actions committed by the candidate that violates ACM's Code of Ethics or Core Values.
• Suggested citation if the candidate is selected. This should be a concise statement (maximum of 25 words) describing the key technical or professional accomplishment for which the candidate merits this award. Note that the final wording for awardees will be at the discretion of the Award Committee.
• Nomination statement (200-500 words in length) addressing why the candidate should receive this award. This may describe the candidate's work in general, but should draw particular attention to the contributions that merit the award.
• Copy of the candidate's CV, listing publications, patents, honors, service contributions, etc.
• Supporting letters from at least 3, and not more than 5, endorsers. Endorsers should be chosen to represent a range of perspectives and institutions and provide additional insights or evidence of the candidate's impact. Each letter must include the name, address, and telephone number of the endorser, and should focus on the accomplishments which that endorser can attest to and place in context. The nominator should collect the letters and bundle them for submission. Please Note: Nominators will need to provide a valid email for each endorser. Endorsers will receive an email from [email protected] containing a secure link to the Code of Ethics attestation form, and will be required to indicate whether they are aware of any actions committed by the candidate that violates ACM's Code of Ethics or Core Values.

For questions on the above, please contact us at [email protected], or Jade Morris, ACM Awards Committee Liaison.  ACM's conflict-of-interest guidelines apply to all award nominations.