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Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria for the NOAA Top Tens Nominations

History Maker

Definition and Eligibility

A history maker is a former or current employee of NOAA or one of its predecessor organizations who established a basis for, or exerted extraordinary influence in, shaping the mission, culture, capabilities, and public service contributions of NOAA.

Evaluation Criteria

  1. Established a basis for or exerted significant influence in shaping NOAA or in laying the groundwork for or in making significant advances in NOAA science, public policy, or public perception and attitudes toward the environment.
  2. Conceived, designed, and implemented equipment or techniques that revolutionized scientific data gathering.
  3. Provided extraordinary leadership and vision in public service, safety, or policy in NOAA or predecessor organizations.
  4. Exerted sustained excellent performance and influence over time.
  5. Other factor(s) that should be considered.

Breakthrough

Definition and Eligibility

A breakthrough is a discovery, innovation, initiative, or revolutionary method or technique that had a profound influence on NOAA’s historical or present day science, service, or stewardship mission. A breakthrough:

  • must be the work of former or current employee(s) of NOAA (or its predecessor organizations) or in which NOAA personnel were the driving forces.
  • does not have to be an instantaneous moment of insight and discovery, but can be the result of long-term efforts.
  • does not have to be strictly scientific or technological.

Evaluation Criteria

  1. The nature of the breakthrough and how and why it had a significant impact on NOAA’s historical and present day science, service, or stewardship mission.
  2. The extent to which the breakthrough was a fundamental scientific and technological discovery and the extent to which it was adopted for use by others outside of NOAA.
  3. The significance of the breakthrough’s impact on the well-being of the nation, the environment, and/or its citizens.
  4. The extent to which the breakthrough was innovative and outside the mainstream versus a natural continuation of previous work or methods.
  5. The extent to which the breakthrough was entrepreneurial and novel versus an improvement over existing methods.
  6. The extent to which the breakthrough was sustained, affecting understanding and/or operational capabilities for a prolonged versus a brief period.

Historic Event

Definition and Eligibility

An historic event is a significant moment or longer-term episode that disproportionately affected NOAA’s or its predecessor organizations’ science, service, and stewardship missions.  In addition, an historic event:

  • may occur within the sphere of NOAA’s traditional responsibilities such as a major hurricane.
  • could be outside the sphere of NOAA’s traditional responsibilities as in a world war.
  • required extraordinary effort by NOAA staff and exercised NOAA’s capabilities in the extreme.

Evaluation Criteria

  1. The nature and scope of the event and how and why it affected NOAA’s science, service, or stewardship missions disproportionately to other events.
  2. The major impact that the event had on NOAA’s science, service, and stewardship mission.
  3. The extraordinary efforts by NOAA or exercise of capabilities in the extreme to meet the challenge brought on by the event.

Foundation Data Set or Product

Definition and Eligibility

A foundation data set or product has been gathered or produced over many years, serves as an underpinning of NOAA science and technology, and demonstrates long-term institutional dedication and perseverance.

Evaluation Criteria

  1. The nature of the dataset or product and how and why it has or had a significant impact on NOAA’s historical and present day science, service, or stewardship mission.
  2. The extent to which the dataset or product has helped lead to fundamental scientific and technological discoveries or was adopted for use outside of NOAA.
  3. The significance of the dataset’s or product’s impact on the well-being of the nation, the environment, and/or its citizens.
  4. The extent to which the dataset or product was innovative and outside the mainstream versus a natural continuation of previous work or methods.
  5. The extent to which the dataset or product was sustained, affecting understanding and/or operational capabilities for a prolonged versus a brief period.