2025 Finalists Announced
Important dates
13 September 2024 – Online Prism application closes
27 September 2024 – Online Catalyst application closes
12 November 2024 – Finalists announced
29 January 2025 – Winners announced at the Reception and Award Ceremony at SPIE Photonics West
SPIE Catalyst Award
This new annual award recognizes a company in our field that has made significant beneficial social or environmental impact. We welcome nominations from any for-profit company that demonstrates a substantial positive impact on their workplace, society, or the environment based on a program with demonstrable outcomes in the prior year. The winner will be announced at the Prism Awards ceremony.
Catalyst awards are for programs, not products. What is being judged is the impact a program had in the previous year; the judges are looking for programs that ‘do good’ and improve the bottom-line. Example programs eligible for consideration are those making contributions to: (1) equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, (2) environmental sustainability, and (3) community engagement, outreach, education, and training.
About the Award application process
You will need to apply to a Category (which will be obvious in the application process), as well as Target Market.
Applications are reviewed in two rounds by core technology and category.
The top-scoring products are then compiled, and a final round of scoring confirms the top 3 products in each Category, and those finalists will be announced.
Eligibility
Products that have been launched between Photonics West 2024 through September 2024 are eligible. However, if your product was launched prior to 2024, it may be considered as eligible, as long as you are able to show why it is the best product currently on the market. You must be able to provide proof of sale.
Review the Award application questions
See the questions you must answer for the Prism Awards before starting the online application.
Application Fee
The SPIE Prism Award application fee is $300. Payment is the final step of the application.
Included in this cost is a ticket to the award reception and banquet ($250 value). Prism Award finalists and winners receive more than $30,000 worth of promotion (print, web, social media, and onsite promotion at Photonics West).
We will consider fee waivers for companies who need support.