SIAM Fellows FAQ

Nomination Website

I am having trouble using the nomination website. Who can I ask for help?

While the system is designed for direct use by the nominators, SIAM administration has the ability to enter or update information on behalf of the nominators. Nominators may request assistance by contacting SIAM Fellows Staff.

How do I log into the fellows nomination website? How can I retrieve my SIAM username and password?

You can log into the fellows nomination website using your SIAM username and password. If you have lost this information, you can retrieve your username and password at the SIAM eBusiness website using your SIAM member number or the email address that is in your SIAM membership record. You will receive your username and password within seconds at this email address. If you change your username, you may need to contact the SIAM Fellows Staff in order to continue with your nomination.

Why can’t I find the SIAM member I am looking for on the Fellows nomination website?

Search using only the last name or only the first name. Searching for the full name (both first and last name) will return no results. If you cannot find the person you wish to nominate, check the eligibility criteria. If you believe your nominee meets all eligibility criteria, please contact the SIAM Fellows Staff.

Exactly how long must an individual have been a member of SIAM in order to be eligible to be nominated as a SIAM Fellow?

An individual must have been a member of SIAM for at least seven of the past 10 years, i.e., 84 of the past 120 months (not necessarily consecutive) before a nomination may be initiated.

Letters of Recommendation

Is there any guidance about the information to be contained in the letters of recommendation?

Learn more about fellows selection criteria and for advice about writing letters of nomination and letters of recommendation.

The letters of recommendation are the heart and soul of the nomination and should include specific information on why the candidate should be selected as a SIAM Fellow. Each letter must also contain the name and affiliation of the writer, and there can only be one signee for each letter of recommendation. Letters of nomination may be signed by all the nominators.

In the case of a letter of recommendation writer who is not a nominator, should the letter be sent to a nominator for submission, or should it be sent directly to SIAM?

The letters of recommendation may either be sent to one of the three nominators or sent directly to SIAM Fellows Staff for uploading to the fellows website. Letters uploaded by a nominator can only be viewed by that nominator. Letters uploaded by SIAM administration cannot be viewed by any of the nominators.

For Nominators

What is the difference between a Chief Nominator and a 2nd or 3rd Nominator?

In order to support the work flow of the nomination process, we have designated the nominator who initiates a nomination as the "Chief Nominator" and the other two nominators as "2nd Nominator" and "3rd Nominator." The distinction is made strictly for processing purposes and in no way reflects any preference or weighting of one role over the other.

I am a Chief Nominator. How do I make a nomination?

  1. Log into the fellows nomination website.
  2. Click "Nominate Fellow" in the box titled "My Nominations."
  3. Search for and select an eligible candidate.
  4. Search for and select the 2nd and 3rd nominators.
  5. Add the minimum required materials: citation, curriculum vitae, letter of nomination, and two letters of recommendation.
  6. Click "Submit".
  7. The 2nd and 3rd nominators must then log into the nomination website to verify their support of the nomination.
  8. Materials may continue to be added or edited until the close of nominations.

I am a 2nd or 3rd Nominator. How do I indicate my support of a nomination?

  1. Log into the fellows nomination website.
  2. Click on the “My Nominations” tab.
  3. Click on the nominee's name to access the nomination page.
  4. Click the "I Support This Nomination" button at the bottom of the page.
  5. Materials may continue to be added or edited until the close of nominations.

Can I save my nomination and come back to it again later?

A Chief Nominator may enter the required information in multiple visits to the site by clicking "Save Draft" and then returning later to add or update the information. However, the 2nd and 3rd Nominators are only able to view and edit the materials and verify their support of the nomination after the Chief Nominator has clicked "Submit." Materials may continue to be added or edited until the close of nominations, even after the nomination has been "submitted."

I've submitted all the required materials. Is my nomination complete?

If you have provided a citation, a curriculum vitae, a letter of nomination, and two letters of recommendation, and if both supporting nominators have logged in and verified their support, then the nomination is complete. However, you may continue to update the nomination materials until the close of nominations. At the close of nominations, all nominations that meet the requirements for completion will be locked from further updates and made available to the Fellows Selection Committee for review.

What is the limit on the number of nominations that I can make or the number of letters of recommendation that I can write in support of Fellows nominations?

No SIAM member can nominate or support the nomination of more than two individuals in a given year. However, there is no limit to the number of letters of recommendation that a SIAM member may provide in support of fellow nominations.

My nominee wasn't selected this year. What will happen to the nomination materials?

Any nomination that is reviewed by the Fellows Selection Committee and not selected during its year of submission will be unlocked for editing. The nominators may once again edit the nomination materials until the close of nominations, at which point the nomination will be automatically sent to the Fellows Selection Committee for review alongside any new nominations. The Committee will be informed of which nominations are new and which have been previously considered. A nomination will remain valid in this way for three years. After three years, the nomination will be deleted.

I understand that nominations remain active for three years. Does this imply that, as a nominator, if my two candidates this year fail to become fellows and their nominations are rolled over, then I am unable to be a nominator again next year?

You may nominate two candidates each year. If your candidates fail to become fellows this year and their nominations are rolled over to next year, this does not impact your eligibility to nominate two additional candidates next year.

I didn't finish my nomination by the deadline. What will happen to the nomination materials?

Any nomination that is in the system at the close of nominations but does not contain all the required materials will remain available for editing. Once the nomination is completed, it will be retained and considered for the following year's class of fellows.

What happens if two separate nomination packages are submitted for the same nominee?

Submitted nominations are monitored daily. When a duplicate nomination occurs, the nomination packages are reviewed and handled on a case-by-case basis. Ideally, the two groups of nominators will combine their efforts to make the strongest nomination possible. If an agreement between the two groups cannot be reached, then the two nominations will be considered separately.

I am a recently appointed member of the Fellows Selection Committee, but prior to my appointment, I served as a nominator for a still-active nomination. What is the appropriate procedure?

In the event described above, the nomination remains valid in its current state; the nominators need not be changed and a new nomination need not be initiated. However, a current Fellows Selection Committee member shall recuse him or herself from deliberating on any nomination package for which he or she is also a nominator.

Nomination Drafts and Rollover

What do I need to do if the nomination I submitted was rolled over to the following year?

You do not need to do anything if you do not wish to change or add information. However, we do encourage you to update your rollover if it does not conform to the new rules. If you do want to make changes, you can log into the SIAM nomination website to submit changes to any part of the nomination. Making these changes will not impact the ability of the original nominators to nominate two additional candidates in the current year.

Please keep in mind that making any changes to the nomination will require you to bring it into conformity with the new fellows rules, at which point the nomination will effectively be resubmitted, restarting the number of years it can remain active before expiration.

What do I need to do if I have a nomination from a previous year that is still in draft form?

It is not required, but you can log into the SIAM nomination website to make updates to the nomination. New nominators will need to add their support, and once support is verified, the nomination will count toward each nominator's yearly allotment of two.

Can I cancel or withdraw my support from a nomination once it has been submitted or rolled over to the following year?

If you are a Chief Nominator and would like to delete a nomination, simply click "Delete" at the bottom of the nomination form. If you are a 2nd or 3rd Nominator and would like to withdraw your support from a nomination, please contact the SIAM Fellows Staff.

What happens if a nomination is rolled over to the following year, but the nominee is no longer a SIAM member?

In order to be selected as a fellow, the nominee must be a current member of SIAM. If the nominee has not renewed his or her membership by the time nominations are sent to the Fellows Selection Committee, the nomination will be rolled over to the following year, provided it has not been active for three consecutive years. If the nominee renews his or her membership before the close of the following year's nominations, then the nomination will be automatically sent to the Fellows Selection Committee for consideration.

What happens if a nomination is rolled over to the following year, but one of the nominators is no longer a SIAM member?

As long as the nominator was a SIAM member when the nomination was submitted, the nomination remains valid.