Nominations Open for 2025 CRA Distinguished Service and A. Nico Habermann Awards
By Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications
The Computing Research Association (CRA) is pleased to share that nominations are open for the 2025 CRA Distinguished Service Award and the CRA A. Nico Habermann Award. These prestigious awards honor a person, persons, or organization that has made significant contributions to the computing research community.
The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2025.
CRA Distinguished Service Award
This award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made an outstanding service contribution to the computing research community. Honorees are celebrated for their impactful work in areas such as government affairs, professional societies, publications or conferences, and leadership.
The 2024 recipient of the CRA Distinguished Service Award was Dr. Manish Parashar, Director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute at the University of Utah. Dr. Parashar’s contributions span academic research, federal leadership at NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, and pivotal roles in initiatives like the COVID-19 High-Performance Computing Consortium. His work has advanced the concept of a National Strategic Computing Reserve and fostered equitable access to cyberinfrastructure resources.
CRA A. Nico Habermann Award
This award honors the late A. Nico Habermann, who led the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate and was deeply committed to increasing the participation of people from groups minoritized in technology. The award is presented to individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to increasing the numbers and/or successes of minoritized groups in the computing research community.
Recognized contributions can include work in areas such as government affairs, educational programs, professional societies, public awareness, and leadership. Efforts may focus on the research level or its immediate precursors, including undergraduate and graduate students.
The 2024 recipient of the CRA A. Nico Habermann Award was Dr. Mary Ann Leung, Founder and President of the Sustainable Horizons Institute. Dr. Leung was recognized for her visionary leadership in broadening participation initiatives, including the Sustainable Research Pathways program and the DOE Exascale Computing Project’s Broadening Participation Initiative. Her work has facilitated research opportunities and mentorship for nearly 200 faculty and students across 10 DOE national labs, driving impactful and sustained change.
How to Submit Nominations
We encourage members of the computing research community to consider a person, persons, or organization that has demonstrated exemplary leadership, service, and advocacy in these areas. Self-nominations are welcome.
To learn more about each award, review nomination guidelines, and access the submission portals, visit the cra.org pages for the CRA Distinguished Service Award and the CRA A. Nico Habermann Award.
Spread the Word
Help us recognize deserving individuals by sharing this announcement widely within your networks, including by resharing our calls for nominations on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. These awards are an opportunity to honor impactful work that strengthens and diversifies the computing research community.
For questions about the nomination process, please contact awards@cra.org.
Submit your nominations by January 31, 2025!
