Anyone seeking to honor a groundbreaking contribution toward a better online world should submit a nomination for the 2014 M3AAWG J. D. Falk Award. Presented to people whose work on specific projects made the Internet a safer, more collaborative, more inclusive place, the J. D. Falk Award has recognized leaders and pioneers who saw elements of the online experience that needed improvement and took action to fix them. The nomination process is simple, open to anyone, and free of charge. To be considered for the October 2014 J. D. Falk Award, nominations must be completed by 5 September, 2014.

This year’s program marks the third presentation of the M3AAWG J. D. Falk Award. Past winners include Gary Warner, director of research in computer forensics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for Information Assurance and Joint Forensics Research (2013), and FBI Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Grasso (2012). Warner is credited with developing a university lab project into one of the world’s preeminent training programs for cyber intelligence analysts. Grasso led the DNS Changer Working Group, assembling a partnership of industry, government and academic experts to organize a response to a global malware attack that jeopardized Internet access for millions of people.

The 2014 M3AAWG J. D. Falk Award winner will be announced in October at our 32nd General Meeting in Boston. The award includes a small honorarium that is funded by Falk’s previous employer, Return Path Inc. Nominees’ contributions can take virtually any form, in the public or private sectors, individually or with groups, from research and software innovation to organizing or mentoring communities dedicated to improving the online environment for all. The only broad requirement is that the nominated project should reduce online abuse and make the Internet experience better. The nomination form can be found at HERE.

The award commemorates J. D. Falk’s commitment to addressing specific issues, working professionally, as a volunteer and as an organizer to find solutions and strengthen the Internet as a public resource. In addition to the J. D. Falk Award for distinct projects or accomplishments, M3AAWG annually presents the Mary Litynsky Award for lifetime achievement, recognizing people whose collective body of work has made online communication safer and more trustworthy. The Mary Litynsky Award nomination form can be found HERE.