Honors

Prizes & Awards

APS Honors recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of the global physics community. Guided by our core values, APS Honors encourages nominations that reflect the full range of talent, distinction, and experience in our field, and supports broad canvassing for professional achievement across diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise.



To browse all APS prize, award, medal, lectureship and dissertation award recipients and read their citations click here.

James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics

Annual Award

Purpose: To recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of properties of highly ionized gases of natural or laboratory origin.

More Info & Nomination

Award: $10,000, a DPP meeting registration waiver and travel allowance, and a certificate citing the contribution.


John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research

Annual Award

PurposeTo recognize a particular recent outstanding achievement in plasma physics research.

More Info & Nomination

Award: $5,000 divided equally in the case of multiple recipients, a DPP meeting registration waiver and travel allowance, and a certificate citing the contribution.

Katherine Weimer Award for Women in Plasma Science

Biennial Award

Purpose: To recognize and encourage outstanding achievement in plasma science research by a woman physicist in the early years of her career.

More Info & Nomination

Award: $5,000, a DPP meeting registration waiver, a certificate citing the contribution, and an invited talk.

Landau-Spitzer Award

Biennial Award

Purpose: To recognize outstanding theoretical, experimental, or technical contribution(s) in plasma physics and for advancing the collaboration and unity between Europe and the United States of America by joint research or research that advances knowledge that benefits the two communities in a unique way.

More Info & Nomination


Award: $4,000, a meeting registration waiver, and a certificate citing the contribution. The person or team receiving the award will be offered an invited talk at the forthcoming annual conference of APS-DPP or EPS-DPP, depending on the affiliation of the recipient(s).

Marshall N. Rosenbluth Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award

Annual Award

Purpose: To recognize exceptional young scientists who have performed original thesis work of outstanding scientific quality and achievement in the area of plasma physics. 

More Info & Nomination

Award: $2,000, a DPP meeting registration waiver, a certificate citing the contribution, and an invited talk on the recipient’s doctoral research at the DPP meeting.

Thomas H. Stix Award for Outstanding Early Career Contributions to Plasma Physics Research

Annual Award

PurposeTo recognize an individual researcher who has made outstanding contributions (theoretical, experimental, computational, or technical) in plasma physics early in their career. Areas of plasma physics covered by the Award include, but are not limited to, fundamental plasma physics, fusion plasmas, astrophysical or space plasmas, low-temperature plasmas, or high-energy-density plasmas.

More Info & Nomination Support the Thomas H. Stix Award


Award: $5,000, a DPP meeting registration waiver and travel allowance, and a certificate citing the contribution, and up to two complimentary DPP meeting banquet tickets.


Other Related APS Prizes & Awards

George E. Valley, Jr. Prize

Annual Award

Purpose: To recognize an early-career individual for an outstanding scientific contribution to physics that is deemed to have significant potential for a dramatic impact on the field.

More Info & Nomination

Award:  $10,000, a certificate citing the contribution made by the recipient, an allowance for travel to the APS Medal and Prize Ceremony and Reception in Washington, D.C., and an invited talk at an APS March or April Meeting.

APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research

Annual Award

Purpose: To recognize contributions of the highest level that advance our knowledge and understanding of the physical universe in all its facets.

More Info & Nomination

Award:  $50,000, a certificate citing the contribution made by the recipient, an allowance for travel to the APS Medal and Prize Ceremony and Reception in Washington, D.C., and an invited talk at an APS March or April Meeting.

Will Allis Prize

Biennial Award

Purpose: For outstanding contributions to understanding the physics of partially ionized plasmas and gases

More Info & Nomination

Award:  $10,000 and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient.

Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach

Annual Award

Purpose: This award recognizes the humanitarian aspect of physics and physicists created through public lectures and public media, teaching, research, or science related activities.

More Info & Nomination

Award:  $3,000, Nicholson medal, and a certificate which includes the citation for which the recipient has been recognized.

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Nominees for and holders of APS Honors (prizes, awards, and fellowship) and official leadership positions are expected to meet standards of professional conduct and integrity as described in the APS Ethics Guidelines. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from consideration or lead to revocation of honors or removal from office.