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Rule Eighteen: Special Rules for the Scientific and Technical Awards

  1. Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievement shall be made by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee.  Awards may be given for devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions of special and outstanding value to the motion picture arts and sciences.  No awards may be given posthumously.
  2. The Academy President shall annually appoint outstanding representatives of the motion picture and technical fields to serve on the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee.  The committee will be dissolved upon the completion of its annual term.
  3. Awards for scientific and technical achievement may be granted in any of the three following classifications:
    ACADEMY AWARD OF MERIT
    (Academy Statuette)
    For basic achievements that have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry.

    SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARD
    (Academy Plaque)
    For those achievements that exhibit a high level of engineering and are important to the progress of the industry.

    TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
    (Academy Certificate)
    For those accomplishments that contribute to the progress of the industry.

  4. The committee shall familiarize itself with all motion picture scientific and technical achievements of the current Awards year.  To assist the committee, letters shall be sent to individuals and organizations engaged in scientific and technical developments for motion pictures, requesting that they submit any information they may have regarding achievements that may have been developed in their own or in any other organizations.
  5. A list of all achievements being considered shall be widely publicized to permit anyone with claims of prior art or with devices similar to those under consideration to bring them to the attention of the committee.
  6. The committee shall then conduct a series of meetings and examinations and, when feasible, shall arrange for such demonstrations as are necessary to evaluate the achievements properly and make recommendations for action by the Board of Governors.
  7. In evaluating the submitted achievements, the committee shall strive to seek out other items similar to those being considered for awards.  If such items are discovered, they may be considered on an equal basis.
  8. Where achievements are covered by patent(s), copies of the patent(s) shall be made available to the committee.  If a patent is pending, the date of filing, name(s) of author(s), and application number must be submitted.
  9. Full claim for originality and development of each achievement must be established to the satisfaction of the committee.  If any controversy should arise as to the origin or authorship of an achievement, the committee may request that the Academy Board of Governors postpone action until proper credit is established.
  10. The committee may appoint advisory groups for each technical classification in which there are achievements to be considered.  The chairperson of each advisory group shall be one of the members of the advisory group and shall conduct its meetings and discussions.
  11. Each advisory group shall consider all achievements in its field. The advisory groups shall evaluate those achievements and forward their conclusions to the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee in the form of a written report prepared by the respective advisory group chairpersons.
  12. All voting by the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee shall be done by secret ballot.  Committee members may voluntarily abstain from voting on any item.  All decisions as to award recommendations and classifications shall require a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting.  Members of the committee having a personal connection with any achievement shall not be present during discussion of that achievement except by invitation of the chairperson.  Members of the committee who do not have a personal connection with the achievement but who are affiliated with the organization responsible for the achievement may be present at the discussion and voting at the discretion of the chairperson, but may not vote on the achievement.
  13. The committee shall carefully evaluate all information regarding actual authorship of each item being considered for an award and shall, at its sole discretion, identify the individual(s) and/or organization(s) to be recognized.  The committee shall recommend to the Academy Board of Governors the person(s) and/or organization(s) to whom an award shall be made, the type of award and the text thereof.
  14. In recommending awards, the committee will judge to the best of its ability the scientific and technical merits of the achievements, but does not warrant that the person or persons named are responsible for the origin or development of the achievement named in the award.
  15. It shall be within the discretion of the committee to recommend no awards be given if, in its judgment, there have been no achievements worthy of recognition.  It shall also be within the discretion of the committee, but only on its own motion, to review any Academy Award conferred for scientific and technical achievement to determine subsequent to the granting of such award whether the classification of such achievement should be elevated by reason of its contribution to the motion picture arts and sciences, and to recommend elevation in classification to the Academy Board of Governors.
  16. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of these awards shall be adopted by the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.
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