ACIS Fellowship

The ACIS Fellowship recognises members who have attained a position of distinction and made an exemplary contribution to colloid and interface science and to the Society. The designation was introduced in 2026.

Successful candidates hold the designation Fellow of the Australasian Colloid and Interface Society.

1. Eligibility

To be eligible for nomination as an ACIS Fellow, candidates must meet all of the following requirements:

Be a current financial member of ACIS with at least 5 years of membership.
Have demonstrated exemplary contribution to colloid and interface science and to ACIS.

Ineligibility

Former members or deceased members cannot be nominated. However, if a nominee passes away after their nomination has been submitted and they are selected, the Fellowship will be granted posthumously.
Current members of the ACIS Board or Awards Committee are ineligible for nomination while serving in those roles.

Ethics and Conduct

Nominees must uphold high ethical standards, follow ACIS's Code of Conduct, and demonstrate safe and responsible practices in their professional environments. Nominations must address these aspects explicitly.

2. Selection Criteria

Fellowship is awarded to members who demonstrate distinction, recognised expertise, and sustained contribution to colloid and interface science and ACIS. Election is based on the following criteria:

Service to ACIS: Contributions as a member, including active participation in events, committees, or leadership roles.
Academic Qualifications and Honours: Evidence of advanced degrees, honours, or awards relevant to the field of colloid and interface science.
Creative Achievement: Evidence of innovation, significant technical, scholarly, or professional achievement, and original contributions to colloid and interface science.
Experience and Status: Demonstrated expertise and an established position within the scientific community.
Leadership and Mentorship: Evidence of guiding others, leading projects or teams, and contributing to the field and the Society.

Assessment is weighted across two main areas:

Domain	Weight	Key considerations
Outstanding Achievements in Science and the Profession, including Creative Achievement	60%	High-impact publications, patents, technologies, methods, or other significant advancements in colloid and interface science; national and international recognition including invited conference presentations, global collaborations, honours, awards, or equivalent evidence of standing.
Leadership and Potential to Advance Science	40%	Demonstrated leadership and mentorship, with a history of promoting science and advancing colloid science; significant service to ACIS through committee participation, event organisation, or leadership roles; evidence of promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the field; mentorship of junior researchers and leadership in advancing the goal of ACIS.

3. Nomination Process

Nominations must be submitted by one current ACIS member. Self-nominations are not permitted.
The nominator must be from a different institution or organisation than the nominee.
Each nomination must include two independent endorsements. At least one endorsement must be from a current ACIS member. One endorsement may be provided by a Fellow of another reputable society, such as the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Materials Research Society, or the Australian Academy of Science. The nominator may not also serve as an endorser for the same nomination.
Nominations must include a completed nomination form, a comprehensive CV of the nominee, a summary of contributions (maximum two pages), and two letters of support (maximum two pages each).
Nominations will be accepted annually, with a deadline of 15 September.
Nominations must be emailed to the Chair of the Awards Committee by the advertised deadline.

4. Selection Committee and Conflict of Interest

The selection committee will be appointed by the ACIS Board for a three-year term.
The committee will consist of at least five non-conflicted members and must include the Awards Chair. Membership should be, selected with attention to equity, diversity, disciplinary breadth, and institutional balance, and should include at least one current ACIS Fellow where possible. Additional ACIS members may be co-opted as needed.
Selection committee members may serve for one cycle and may be reappointed by the ACIS Board for subsequent three-year terms cycles, subject to performance, continuity needs, and conflict-of-interest requirements.
The committee will evaluate nominations against the eligibility and selection criteria and may recommend up to 10 Fellowships in any year.
The selection process is confidential, and the committee’s decisions are final.

Conflict of Interest

All selection committee members must declare actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest before assessment begins and whenever a new conflict arises.
A person may not act as nominator, endorser, nominee, and selection committee member for the same nomination in the same nomination cycle. As an exception to the general conflict-of-interest rules, the Awards Chair is a required member of the selection committee. If the Awards Chair has an actual, potential, or perceived conflict for a specific nomination, they must remain excluded; in that case, the Awards Chair must recuse themselves from discussion, assessment, and decision-making for that nomination only. For any conflicted nomination involving the Awards Chair, current ACIS Board will nominate an acting chair from the non-conflicted selection committee members to manage that nomination. Current ACIS Board or Awards Committee members may serve on the selection committee only if they are not otherwise conflicted.
Where a conflict exists, the conflicted person must not participate in discussion, assessment, or decision-making for that nomination.

5. Equity and Diversity

ACIS will aim to achieve gender balance and promote diversity in Fellowship nominations and selections. ACIS will work toward establishing targets to support equitable representation.

6. Announcement and Induction

Successful candidates will be notified by 31 October in the same year.
New ACIS Fellows will be announced at the annual ACIS conference and will receive a certificate of Fellowship.
ACIS Fellows will be invited to participate in the ACIS conference and may be invited to give a talk.

7. Fellowship Responsibilities

ACIS Fellows are expected to contribute to ACIS activities, including serving on committees, mentoring junior members, and promoting colloid and interface science.
ACIS Fellows are encouraged to participate in the nomination or selection process for future ACIS Fellows, provided they do not perform both roles in the same nomination cycle.

8. Rescission of Fellowship

The ACIS Fellow designation may be rescinded by the ACIS Board under the following circumstances:

Material Errors or Omissions: The Fellowship was granted based on a material mistake or omission of critical information.
Unethical Conduct: The designee is found to have engaged in behaviour inconsistent with ACIS's Code of Conduct or the objectives of the Society.
Post-Designation Misconduct: The designee engages in actions detrimental to ACIS or the field of colloid and interface science.

Process for Rescission

The designee and the committee that selected them will be given reasonable notice of the timing and grounds for rescission.
The designee will have the opportunity to provide a written defence.
Rescission requires a two-thirds affirmative vote of the ACIS Board members present at a duly called meeting.

Key Dates

Date	Milestone
15 September	Nomination deadline
31 October	Successful candidates notified
Annual ACIS Conference	Public announcement and induction

Nomination Form

To nominate a colleague for ACIS Fellowship, complete the sections below and email the full package, including CV and letters of support, to the Chair of Awards Committee A/Prof. Jitendra Mata at jitendra.mata@ansto.gov.au by 15 September.

Nominee Information

Full Name:
Affiliation:
Contact Information (Email, Phone):
ACIS Membership ID:
Years of Membership in ACIS:
Career stage or primary role:

2. Nominator Information

Full Name:
Affiliation:
Contact Information (Email, Phone):
Relationship to Nominee:

3. Endorsement Information

Endorsement from current ACIS member (Name, Affiliation, Email, Signature):
Second endorsement from current ACIS member or Fellow of another reputable society (Name, Society if applicable, Affiliation, Email, Signature):

4. Supporting Documents

Comprehensive Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the Nominee.
Summary of Contributions to Colloid and Interface Science and to ACIS (maximum two pages).
Two letters of support (maximum two pages each).

5. Declaration

I confirm that all information provided is accurate, that the nominee meets the eligibility criteria for ACIS Fellow, and that I am not serving as an endorser or selection committee member for this nomination in the same cycle.
Signature of Nominator:
Date:

For enquiries, contact A/Prof. Jitendra Mata jitendra.mata@ansto.gov.au