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NAVADMIN 291/12 
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC//N2N6/SEP// 

SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2012 COPERNICUS AWARDS// 

RMKS/1. THE COPERNICUS AWARD WAS ESTABLISHED TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUAL 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO NAVAL WARFARE IN COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS 
AND INTELLIGENCE (C4I), INFORMATION SYSTEMS, AND INFORMATION WARFARE. THE 
AWARD IS SPONSORED BY THE ARMED FORCES COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS 
ASSOCIATION (AFCEA) AND THE U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE (USNI). 

2. AWARD CRITERIA AND ELIGIBILITY. FISCAL YEAR 2012 NOMINEES MUST HAVE MADE A 
SPECIFIC, DEMONSTRABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF C4I, INFORMATION 
SYSTEMS, OR INFORMATION WARFARE. 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 
NAVY, MARINE CORPS, COAST GUARD, AND CIVIL SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE ELIGIBLE FOR 
NOMINATION. UP TO 30 AWARDEES WILL BE SELECTED. EACH NOMINATING COMMAND IS 
LIMITED TO TWO NOMINEES. NO CONTRACTOR OR TEAM (MORE THAN ONE PERSON) 
NOMINATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. 

3. NOMINATIONS AND PRESENTATION. THE AWARDEES WILL BE SELECTED THROUGH 
NOMINATIONS FROM NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AND COAST GUARD (INCLUDING JOINT/NATO) 
COMMANDS, AFLOAT AND ASHORE. NOMINATIONS MUST BE ON LETTERHEAD AND SUBMITTED 
BY SCAN/EMAIL (PREFERRED), MAIL, OR FAX. 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 POC INFORMATION, CAN BE FOUND AT
HTTP://WWW.AFCEA.ORG/AWARDS/COPERNICUSNOMINATIONS12.ASP. NOMINATIONS ARE DUE 
TO THE POC NO LATER THAN 1 NOVEMBER 2012. LATE NOMINATIONS WILL NOT BE 
CONSIDERED AFTER THE SELECTION BOARD ADJOURNS, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL 
AWARD SELECTEES WILL BE MADE TO AFCEA/USNI. AFCEA/USNI WILL MAKE FINAL 
SELECTIONS AND OPNAV WILL ANNOUNCE THE AWARDEES VIA NAVADMIN. THE ANNUAL 
COPERNICUS AWARDS CEREMONY HELD AT THE AFCEA WEST CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO, CA 
WILL BE ANNOUNCED SEPCOR.

4. POC LT ROBERT THOMPSON, OPNAV N2N6C11, (703) 604-6127/DSN 664-6127, 
robert.w.thompson2@navy.mil OR robert.w.thompson1@navy.smil.mil// 

5. RELEASED BY VADM KENDALL L. CARD, N2N6.//
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