James "Jim" Corones led a distinguished career as a researcher, administrator and, not least, founder of the Krell Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the scientific and educational communities. Under his guidance, Krell grew to supervise many projects and programs, most notably two Department of Energy-sponsored graduate fellowships: the Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) and the Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF).
Jim envisioned the Krell Institute as a vehicle to educate superior scientists for the U.S. workforce, helping the country continue to lead the world in multiple disciplines. He was an advocate for mentoring and developing leaders in the scientific community and established programs encouraging scientists to communicate about their research with general audiences. His work helped establish the fields of computational science, advanced high-performance computing, and national nuclear safety.
In his honor and memory, the Krell Institute has established the James Corones Award in Leadership, Community Building and Communication to recognize the impact of mid-career scientists and engineers on their chosen fields across a range of areas.
About/Eligibility
This award recognizes mid-career scientists and engineers — those having earned a Ph.D. within the past 10 to 20 years — who are making an impact in leadership, community building, AND science communication. The recipient will be someone who encourages and mentors young people to be active in the science community, to communicate their work effectively, and to make a difference in their scientific area. The prize will consist of a $2,000 cash award and an engraved tangible gift.
Nominate
Nominations for The James Corones Award in Leadership, Community Building and Communication include a letter from the nominator and a form identifying the nominee and naming three additional references who can speak to his or her character and accomplishments. Krell will secure the reference letters and package all submitted materials for committee review. Self-nominations are accepted.
The nomination period is now closed, with a 2025 winner announcement planned for April. Nominations for the 2026 award will open in October 2025.
Winners
- 2024: Suzanne Shontz, University of Kansas (press release)
- 2023: Tammy Ma, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (press release)
- 2022: Paul M. Sutter, Stony Brook University and the Flatiron Institute (press release)
- 2021: Jeffrey A.F. Hittinger, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (press release)
- 2020: Bethany Goldblum, University of California, Berkeley (press release)
- 2019: Rebecca Hartman-Baker, NERSC, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (press release)
Donate
Those wishing to contribute to the award fund should kindly follow these steps:
Credit card: Donate via Paypal Giving Fund.
Check:
- Make payable to "Krell Institute" and note "Corones Award" in the memo line.
- Mail to: Krell Institute; c/o Shelly Olsan, President; 1609 Golden Aspen Drive Suite 101; Ames, IA 50010.
- Be sure to include the name(s) of those contributing and a physical and/or email address for gift acknowledgment.
Questions: Direct to Shelly Olsan.
To learn more about Jim's life, professional pursuits and personal interests, see here.