Nomination packages for the 2025 awards are due by December 15, 2024.

The 2025 awards will be announced at the SCAS Annual Meeting on April 5, 2025.

The award was established in 1985 by the Drug Science Foundation to honor specifically an individual or team within the state whose achievements and contributions to science in South Carolina merit special recognition and to promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina. Since 1989 the award has been under the joint sponsorship of the Governor’s office and South Carolina Academy of Science. Candidates should be currently working in South Carolina or have conducted a substantial portion of their work within the state. Contributions may be in any area of science and may be for service to science through non-formal education in the various media, for exemplary exposition at the college or university level, or as an acknowledgement for significant outstanding formal research. The award may be given to an individual or a team. Nominations for collaborative work are encouraged for each award.

Since 2010 four awards have been given annually:

Excellence in Scientific Research (ESR)

Presented to a scientist whose contributions to scientific discovery merit special recognition and have impacted the respective discipline on a national and international basis.

Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research (YESR)

Directed to a gifted young researcher who has completed no more than 12 years beyond the Ph.D. and has demonstrated the potential for major contributions to his or her discipline.

Excellence in Scientific Awareness (ESA)

Presented to a candidate whose achievements have had significant impact on science education in South Carolina, have promoted wider awareness of science, and are of such high quality that they merit special recognition. These achievements may be in the realm of formal education activities or service to science through non-formal education in the various media. They should impact science education or science awareness on a regional and national basis as well as South Carolina.

Excellence in Scientific Research at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution (PUI)

Recognizes an individual whose achievements and contributions to science over at least a 10 year period at a predominately undergraduate South Carolina university or college merit special recognition.

Collaborative (team) awards are encourage and are eligible in each category.

NOTE: For a team award, there should be clear evidence of collaboration between members directed toward a common scientific goal (e.g. via jointly authored publications and multi-investigator grant awards), and letters of support should emphasize the contributions of the team more so than its individuals. In the case of a team award, the honorarium will be distributed equally.

The deadline for receipt of nominations and supporting documentation is December 15, 2024. The link to the nomination form can be found at the top of this page.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PREVIOUS GOVERNORS AWARD WINNERS (1985-2024)

CLICK HERE FOR THE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

CLICK HERE FOR THE CRITERIA FOR THE GOVERNOR’S AWARDS