Awards

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In Honoring Others – We Honor Ourselves!

AIAA is honored to honor you—the very best! A primary goal of the Institute is to recognize those who are making earthshaking achievements that make us stand up from our seats and cheer. Since the inception of AIAA Honors and Awards Program, collectively we’ve recognized thousands of your colleagues for their meritorious achievements, technical contributions, committed service, section participation, and loyal membership.

Because shaping the future of aerospace is a community effort, AIAA is also flying high to partner with other societies for certain elite awards.

For a full compilation of our awards and past recipients, please download our Honors and Awards Book .

A complete listing of all AIAA Honors and Awards is noted below, or you can select an award category to learn more:

Premier

Lectureship

Educator

Publication

Student

Service

Best Paper

Technical Excellence

Sustained Service Award
Opens: 1 March 2026 | Closes: 1 July 2026
von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics Award
Opens: 10 July 2027 | Closes: 1 October 2027
Abe Zarem Graduate Award For Distinguished Achievement-Aeronautics
Opens: 2 January 2025 | Closes: 28 February 2025
Space Design Competition
AIAA-ASC James H. Starnes Jr. Award
Opens: 10 February 2028 | Closes: 1 June 2028
Guidance, Navigation and Control Graduate Award
Daedalus 88 Undergraduate Scholarship
Robert J. Collier Trophy Award
Senior Member
Aerospace Maintenance Award
Dr. James Rankin Digital Avionics Scholarship
William T. Piper, Sr. General Aviation Systems Graduate Award
Aircraft Operations Award
Hap Arnold Award for Excellence in Aeronautical Program Management
Opens: 10 July 2026 | Closes: 1 October 2026
Graduate Award-Open Topic
ICME Prize
John Leland Atwood Graduate Award
Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence Award
Aeroacoustics Award
Opens: 10 July 2026 | Closes: 1 October 2026
Outstanding Section Award

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