USPTO seeks nominations for prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation

Press Release
22-02

CONTACT: (Media Only)
Paul Fucito or Mandy Kraft
(571) 272-8400 or paul.fucito@uspto.gov or mandy.kraft@uspto.gov

WASHINGTON – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeks nominations for the 2022 National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI). The NMTI is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement and is presented to recipients by the President of the United States.

“The recipients of this medal are America’s top innovators, who have changed our world for the better. They are the heroes whose ingenuity and persistence have benefited our society in ways we may not even realize. We hope their successes and stories inspire future generations to pursue inventive and innovative careers and advance American competitiveness on the global stage,” said Drew Hirshfeld, Performing the Functions and Duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO.

The medal is awarded to individuals, teams (up to four members), and companies or company divisions for their outstanding contributions to the nation’s economic, environmental, and social well-being. Recipients are honored for their work on the development and commercialization of technological products, processes, and concepts; technological innovation; and efforts to strengthen the nation’s technological workforce. Past laureates (medal recipients) include Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for the invention of the personal computer (1985), Grace Murray Hopper for her pioneering accomplishments in the development of computer programming languages that simplified computer technology (1991), Jim West for co-inventing the electret microphone (2006), and Frances Arnold for groundbreaking research on biofuels and chemicals that could lead to the replacement of pollution-generating materials (2011), among many others.

Anyone can submit a nomination for the NMTI by completing the online nomination form and including letters of support. The USPTO must receive all nominations by 11:59 p.m. ET, May 20, 2022. We encourage nominations of candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Detailed information about the nomination guidelines, a preview of the nomination questions, and a link to the nomination form are available on the NMTI webpage. For more information about the award and the nomination process, please contact nmti@uspto.gov.

NMTI staff will hold a webinar to answer questions about the award and the process on March 9 at 2 p.m. ET. To attend, please visit the event page on the USPTO website.

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