The Outstanding Early-Career Investigator Award recognizes outstanding, interdisciplinary scientific work in materials research by a young scientist or engineer. The award recipient must show exceptional promise as a developing leader in the materials area. A nominee must be a young scientist or engineer who has contributed in an outstanding and innovative way to the progress of materials research; the work should have a significant interdisciplinary aspect. The nominee shall not have reached his/her 40th birthday prior to January 1 of the year in which the award recipient is announced and the award is presented.