The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) is the highest honor bestowed by the United States federal government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers.
To be eligible for a Presidential Award, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
In February 1996, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was commissioned by President Bill Clinton to create an award program that would honor and support the achievements of young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers in the fields of science and technology.
[1] The 2002 PECASE awards were not announced until May 2004 due to bureaucratic delays within the Bush administration.
The Trump administration announced the 2015, 2016, and 2017 awardees in 2019 with the awards presented by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.