2014IEEENuclearandSpaceRadiationEffects ConferenceAwards CommentsbytheChairman I

T is a longstanding tradition of the IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC) to honor the Outstanding Conference Paper, the Outstanding Data Workshop Presentation and the best paper presented and first-authored by an IEEE Student Member. The awards process not only recognizes authors for particularly high quality and important work, but also encourages all authors to produce presentations and manuscripts of high technical quality, clarity of presentation, and significance to the community. As in previous years, this difficult selection process began at the conference, where the Awards Committee selected the candidate papers based on the conference presentations (both oral and poster). At least four committee members judged each conference session and scored each presentation on the basis of technical quality, originality, clarity, and significance to the community. At the conclusion of the conference the committee met to discuss the presentations and their scoring. Ten presentations were selected as candidates for the Outstanding Conference Paper Award. Three of the ten Outstanding Conference Paper Award candidates also qualified as candidates for the IEEE Outstanding Student Paper Award. During the conference each committee member also evaluated all Radiation Effects Data Workshop presentations to select the Outstanding Data Workshop Presentation Award. Following the conference, the manuscripts of the ten nominated papers were reviewed and scored using the criteria mentioned above. This was a time-consuming and difficult process, requiring each committee member to thoughtfully read and compare the ten candidate papers during late July and August. Although there were a number of strong candidates, two papers stood out due to their consistently high scores. When two papers stand out, there can be a Meritorious Paper Award given in addition to the Outstanding Conference Paper Award. This was the case this year. I am pleased to announce that the 2014 NSREC Outstanding Conference Paper is: “Hardness assurance for proton direct ionization-induced SEEs using a high-energy proton beam,” N. A. Dodds, J. R. Schwank, M. R. Shaneyfelt, P. E. Dodd,