PMI Rising Leader Award

Purpose

The PMI Rising Leader Award recognizes and honors a young professionals who have made a significant impact in advancing project management within an organization, advancing the knowledge and understanding of the practice of project management, and demonstrating an understanding of PMI standards, practices and ethics.

Eligible

  • Self-nomination is permitted for candidates with a PMI affiliation or PMI membership in good standing.
  • Traditional nominees do not require PMI affiliation or membership.
  • The nominee must be no more than age 35 at the time of application.
  • The Lead Nominator must be a PMI member in good standing.

Not Eligible

  • Current PMI staff, PMI contractors, and/or PMI consultants are not eligible to apply for this award.
  • Current PMI Board members and members of PMI Board Reporting Committees are not eligible to apply for or act as a nominator for this award.

Number of Awards

  • There is no limit to the number of the PMI Rising Leader Awards granted annually.
  • The nominee may be nominated annually until they are 35 years of age at the time of applying.
  • PMI reserves the right not to select any winners for a particular year if the evaluations performed indicate that nominations do not meet the stated criteria.

Nomination

Overview

  • The Lead Nominator must:
    • Be a PMI member in good standing.
    • Assemble and submit the nomination package.
    • Ensure that the nomination package is complete at the time of submission. Incomplete nomination packages will not be evaluated.
  • Review PMI General Nominations Guidelines.

Content

The nomination package must contain the following:

  • The PMI Rising Leader Award online application includes four criteria that must be met. Description of contributions must highlight impact, outcomes, and results of the nominee’s efforts spanning three or more years.
    • Criterion 1: The nominee must be no more than age 35 at the time of application.
    • Criterion 2: These contributions are significant in nature and made a substantial impact within an organization, university or community.
    • Criterion 3: These contributions have advanced the knowledge and understanding of project management practices within an organization, university or community.
    • Criterion 4: These contributions demonstrate an understanding of PMI standards, practices and ethics.
  • Letters of nomination (no more than two pages each) from the Lead Nominator and each of the other nominators. Each letter should include:
    • Brief overview of nominator’s relationship to nominee or type of personal or professional relationship with person nominated and length of association with person nominated. Any direct personal or professional relationship of the nominator’s with the nominee must be stated.
    • A full description of the contributions deserving the award based on the stated criteria. Contributions must highlight impact, outcomes, and results of the nominee’s efforts spanning three (3) or more years. The description must clearly outline why the contributions represent an improved or enhanced use of project management or make a lasting contribution to the profession.
    • Length and type of association with the nominee. Any direct personal or professional relationship of the nominators with the nominee must be stated.
    • Each nominator must document their personal knowledge of the nominee’s contributions.
    • Nominators should be chosen to provide various perspectives of the nominee’s contributions.
    • A video (maximum 2 minutes in length) of the nominee explaining why they should be selected for this award.

General Nominations Guidelines 

Permissions and Release Form 

In the Event of a Successful Nomination

  • The PMI Professional Awards Staff will send the nomination package to a designated panel of evaluators, who are subject matter experts, for evaluation.
  • The nominations, evaluation process, and scores are proprietary to PMI and will not be disclosed to nominators or nominees.
  • The Lead Nominator and Nominee will be notified of the status of the nomination at the conclusion of the evaluation process.
  • Selection and communication of nomination status must take place no later than the third quarter of the year.

In the Event of an Unsuccessful Nomination

  • If a nominee is not selected, they may be renominated until they are age 35 at the time of application.
  • A new nomination package must be submitted in order for the nominee to be considered in subsequent years.

PMI Award FAQs

View the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the PMI Professional Awards.