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National Academy of Inventors

THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS (NAI)

was founded to recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and to create wider public understanding of how its members鈥� inventions benefit society. 51官网 Tech is a National Academy of Inventors member institution.

To nominate a colleague or learn more about the process, contact Teresa McCoy at link@vt.edu.

THE FELLOWS RECOGNITION PROGRAM

The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.

The NAI Fellow program has 1,898 Fellows聽worldwide representing more than聽300 prestigious universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes.聽Collectively, the Fellows hold more than聽63,000 issued U.S. patents, which have generated over聽13,000 licensed technologies, 3,200 companies聽and created more than聽1 million jobs. In addition, over聽$3 trillion in revenue聽has been generated based on NAI Fellow discoveries.

FELLOW NOMINATIONS

Deadlines:
2024 Fellows nomination will be accepted May 1 鈥� July 31, 2024 then announced in December 2024.

The nominations are reviewed by the聽. The number of Fellows elected each year is dependent on the quality of the nominations submitted. Committee members may not vote on a nominee from their institution. Decisions of the Selection Committee are final. If a nominee is not elected to Fellow status, he or she will remain on record for committee review for three consecutive years.

  • Nominees should have made outstanding contributions to innovation in areas of such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation
  • Nominees must be a named inventor on patent(s) issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. (The median patent count among current NAI Fellows is 20.)
  • Nominees should have reached professional maturity and be recognized as pioneers in their field
  • Nominees must be affiliated with an academic organization, e.g., university, college, non-profit research institute, or government agency
  • Nominees do not have to be current members of, nor affiliated with a Member Institution of the National Academy of Inventors聽(although recommended)
  • All U.S. and non-U.S. citizens are qualified for nomination
  • Deceased nominees are not eligible
  • Self-nomination, team submissions and nominations submitted by relatives are not eligible
  • Nominations do not have to be submitted by an individual affiliated with an NAI Member Institution (although recommended)

NAI Fellow status is nationally recognized as the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors. Those chosen for induction have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. 聽

THE SENIOR MEMBERS RECOGNITION PROGRAM

Building on the success of the Fellows program and driven by a desire to recognize the rising young stars of the Academy鈥檚 Member Institutions, the Academy established the Seniors Members program in 2018. NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators with success in patents, licensing and commercialization and have produced technologies that have brought or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society.

They are rising stars who foster a spirit of innovation within their communities and institutions while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors. Senior Membership is exclusively available to inventors affiliated with an active . There are currently 553 Senior Members, holding over 6,700 U.S. patents and representing over 100 NAI Member Institutions worldwide.

SENIOR MEMBER NOMINATIONS

Nomination Timeline:

The Academy will now accept Senior Member nominations from NAI Member institutions, annually from October 鈥� December. Once the nomination period closes, candidates will be reviewed by the (SMAC), and eligible Senior Members will be announced in the spring of 2025. Nominators will have the opportunity to edit any incomplete nominations during the next nomination period.

  • At a minimum, candidates must demonstrate a high degree of innovation by holding聽1聽issued U.S. patent
  • Candidates must be in professional practice or research in his/her current field for at least聽5聽years
  • and must submit a letter of nomination from that institution
  • Self-nominations are accepted
  • Deceased candidates are not eligible

Please Note:聽 Because NAI Fellows are recognized in the highest degree from the National Academy of Inventors, they are not eligible for Senior Membership consideration

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