R 281645Z AUG 19
MARADMIN 474/19
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC DCI WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2019 COPERNICUS AWARD NOMINATION//
POC/GOEHRING/CIV/AFCEA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION/TEL: (703)631-6147/
EMAIL: AGOEHRING@AFCEA.ORG//
02XX POC/FOULIS/MGYSGT/IID/TEL: (703)614-3966/EMAIL: GERALD.FOULIS@USMC.MIL//
06XX POC/DURAND/MGYSGT/IC4/TEL: (571)256-8893/EMAIL: DALE.DURAND@USMC.MIL//
17XX POC/TORRES/MGYSGT/IMD/TEL: (703)692-7680/EMAIL: CARLOS.TORRES2@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  The Copernicus award was established to recognize individual contributions to naval warfare in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I), information systems, cyber operations, and information warfare.  The award is sponsored by Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International and the United States Naval Institute (USNI).
2.  Award criteria and eligibility.  Fiscal Year 2019 nominees must have made a significant, demonstrable contribution to the advancement of C4I, information systems, or cyber operations.  Contributions can be technical in nature, but may also originate from doctrinal, financial, organizational, or other dimensions of information systems.  The contribution should involve exceptional initiative, leadership, and insight within the nominee’s area of expertise.  All Marine Corps active duty, reserve, and civil service personnel are eligible for nomination.  Up to 22 awards will be selected.  Each nominating command is limited to two nominees.  No contractor or team (more than one person) nominations will be accepted.  Nominations must be unclassified.
3.  Nominations and presentation.  The awardees will be selected from nominations received from U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard (including Joint and North Atlantic Treaty Organization) commands, afloat and ashore.  Nominations must be on letterhead, be submitted by email in pdf format, and must not contain any Personally Identifiable Information (PII).  Nominations for commanding officers or officers-in-charge must be signed by their immediate superior in command.  Flag endorsements and letters of recommendation are neither required nor desired.  The nomination template and additional nomination package information, as well as the most up-to-date point of contact information can be found at https:(slash)(slash)www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/doc-489512, and award information can be found at https:(slash)(slash)www.afcea.org/site/foundation/awards/copernicus.  Nominations must be submitted no later than 1 November 2019 to efoundation@afcea.org.  POCs identified in this message will not submit nomination packages to AFCEA.  Late nominations will not be considered.
4.  AFCEA and USNI will make the final selections and DC I will announce the awardees via MarAdmin.  The annual Copernicus awards ceremony will be held 2-3 March 2020 at the AFCEA USNI West 2020 Conference in San Diego, CA at the San Diego Convention Center.  If awardees are unable to attend the March ceremony, the awards will also be presented 2-4 June 2020 at the AFCEA TechNet Cyber Conference in Baltimore, MD at the Baltimore Convention Center.
5.  This message self cancels on 1 January 2020.
6.  Release authorized by LtGen L. E. Reynolds, Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information//