The Samuel Wesley Stratton Award has been annually presented by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, then NBS) since 1962 for "an unusually significant research contribution to science or engineering that merits the acclaim of the scientific world and supports NIST’s mission objectives". The award was named after first director of NIST, then NBS, Samuel Wesley Stratton. The award is considered NIST’s highest award for fundamental research.