R 312000Z AUG 20
MARADMIN 503/20
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC DCI WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2020 COPERNICUS AWARD NOMINATION//
POC/FISCHETTI/CIV/AFCEA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION/TEL: (703)631-6147/EMAIL: EFOUNDATION@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/HESS/MGYSGT/IMD/TEL: (703)692-7680/EMAIL: WILLIAM.W.HESS@USMC.MIL//
26XX POC/DAUBERT/MGYSGT/IMD/TEL: (571)256-8785/EMAIL: SCOTT.A.DAUBERT@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 the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International and the United States Naval Institute.
2.  Award criteria and eligibility.  Fiscal year 2020 nominees must have made a specific, demonstrable contribution to the advancement of C4I, Information Systems, or Cyber Operations.  Contributions can be technical in nature, but may also originate from doctrinal, fiscal, 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 awardees 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/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.  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://www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/DOC-489512, and award information can be found at http://www.afcea.org/site/awards/copernicus.  Nominations must be submitted no later than 1 November 2020 to edfoundation@afcea.org.  POCs identified in this message will not submit information packages to AFCEA.  Late nominations will not be considered.
4.  AFCEA International and USNI will make the final selections and Deputy Commandant for Information will announce the awardees via MARADMIN.  The annual Copernicus Awards ceremony will be held at the AFCEA International/USNI WEST 2021 Conference in San Diego, CA on a date to be determined.  If awardees are unable to attend the ceremony in San Diego, the awards will also be presented at the AFCEA International TechNet Cyber Conference in Baltimore, MD at the Baltimore Convention Center on a date to be determined.
5.  This message self cancels on 1 January 2021.
6.  Release authorized by LtGen L. E. Reynolds, Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information.//