About the David Perlman Award
Initiated in 2015, the David Perlman Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the area of Industrial Fermentation, Process Development and/or Manufacturing. They should be visionaries, exhibit leadership qualities, and have pioneered efforts in industrial microbiology and/or biotechnology. While desirable, a strong publication or patent record is not to be used as the sole criteria for selection of the award winner since industrial “How To” publications are limited. For this award, “Excellence” should be defined, at least in part, as focused on the process and its commercial success. Also for the purpose of this award, Fermentation is broadly defined as “bioprocessing”, to include the use of cells (or enzymes and other subcellular entities and organelles) regardless of source, e.g. bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, mammalian, insect, etc., living or not, free or immobilized and “green technology” including retrofitting existing processes (organisms or enzymes) and de novo bioprocesses to achieve greater environmental sustainability.
Successful candidates are required to present a plenary lecture at the RAFT® Meeting and the President must explain that with the notification. The award consists of a plaque and an honorarium of $1000 which will be presented at the bi-annual RAFT® Meeting sponsored by the SOCIETY. The awardee’s travel, meeting registration, meals and hotel expenses will be reimbursed by the SOCIETY. In the event that no nominations are received or if the nominees are judged to be unqualified either by the awards committee or the BOD, then no award will be given.