The NOAA David Johnson Award is presented by the National Space Club in honor of the first Administrator of what was to become the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).
This award is given to young professionals who have developed an innovative application of Earth observation satellite data (alone or in combination with non-satellite data) that is, or could be, used for operational purposes to assess and/or predict atmospheric, oceanic, or terrestrial conditions.
Examples include, but are certainly not limited to, the use of Earth observation data for fire monitoring, weather forecasting, climate monitoring or prediction, global change detection, volcanic ash tracking, vegetation/drought monitoring, oil spill tracking, rainfall measurements or forecasts, hurricane landfall predictions, and fisheries management. The satellite data used may be from any Earth observation satellite such as a NOAA or other U.S. Government, commercial, or foreign satellite.
An award committee of eminent professionals in the field will select the recipient for this award. The nominee must be a United States citizen, national, or permanent resident and not more than 40 years of age on December 31, 2026.
Nominations may be submitted for individuals or groups. If nominating a group, all members of the group should have been actively involved in the design and/or implementation of the application, and each must be a United States citizen, national, or permanent resident.
A completed nomination will include:
1. One page containing the name, position, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, and affiliation of the nominee. This page will not be considered part of the explanation. See number 2.
2. An explanation, not to exceed five pages, of how the Earth observation satellite data (used alone or in combination with non-satellite data) application that the nominee developed is now, or could be, used for operational purposes to assess and/or predict atmospheric, oceanic, or terrestrial conditions. This explanation should be preceded by a one-paragraph summary or abstract that states the use of the application in brief. The work preferably should have been accomplished within the past three years, but work done over three years ago will also be considered. Visual examples are encouraged.
3. A minimum of three letters of support from supervisors, colleagues, or users of the application justifying the nomination.
4. The nominee’s resume, biography, or curriculum vitae.
Selection
An award committee composed of government and non-government scientists and program managers will review the nominations and recommend a selectee. The final selection decision will be made by the chair of the award committee. The National Space Club will present one David Johnson Award per year to an individual or group.
Funding
This is a non-monetary award. Winners will receive a plaque acknowledging their selection.
Presentation of Award
The award will be presented at the annual Goddard Memorial Dinner, held near Washington, DC, and hosted by the National Space Club.
Additional Information
If you have questions, please contact Ryann Agbasi in the NOAA/NESDIS Chief of Staff Office by e-mail at
[email protected].
Email submissions are preferred. Nominations will not be returned. Deadline for nominations is
September 16, 2026. Submit completed nominations to [email protected]
