Important: Please read the complete Official Rules before submitting an AASTE application. By submitting an application for consideration, the applicants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and represent that they satisfy all of the requirements set forth therein. Applicants who are selected and elect to receive an AASTE award agree to be bound by these Official Rules and eligibility requirements.

Eligibility:

1. Applicants for this award must be full-time classroom teachers of grades K–12 in a public or private school setting and whose major responsibilities include teaching science. Additionally, applicants must serve one single school facility located in communities in which Amgen has key operating sites. For the 2012 awards, this specifically includes the following communities:

   California

   • Ventura County
   • San Francisco Bay Area (including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties)

   Colorado

   • Front Range Counties (including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Larimer, Park, Pueblo, Teller, and Weld Counties)

   Kentucky

   • Jefferson County

   Massachusetts

   • Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk Counties

   Puerto Rico (all)

   Rhode Island (all)

   Washington

   • King and Snohomish Counties

   Canada (all)

2. Applicants must be teaching full time at time of application submission and throughout the following academic year. Applicants must have at least three years of experience teaching science in grades K–12. 
3. Immediate-family members (parent, child, sibling and/or spouse) of Amgen staff are not eligible to receive this award.
4. Teachers who are past winners of AASTE are not eligible.
5. Schools that are past recipients of AASTE are not eligible in consecutive years.

Amgen reserves the right to determine the final number of awards based on the quality of applications received and does not commit to awarding a specific number of cash awards and restricted grants in any annual award cycle. An applicant is not a winner unless and until his or her eligibility has been verified and he or she has been notified that verification is complete. In the event that a winner is determined to be ineligible, his or her prize will be forfeited and Amgen reserves the right to select an alternate winner from among remaining eligible applications. Amgen also reserves the right and authority to interpret, alter and apply the eligibility criteria, and to waive criteria if needed.

By submitting an application, each applicant agrees to (1) forever discharge, release and hold harmless (i) Amgen Inc. and its respective directors, officers, employees, agents, and subsidiaries, (ii) the Amgen Foundation and its respective directors, officers, employees and agents, and (iii) the independent panel of judges from any and all liability, damages, claims, causes of action, suits, and demands of any kind arising from or in connection with AASTE; and (2) abide by and be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of Amgen and the independent panel of judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects.

Amgen is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, illegible or misdirected applications (including due to network failure), all of which are void. Amgen does not assume any responsibility for any disruption in the AASTE caused by circumstances or other unforeseen events outside of the control of Amgen. In the event there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between disclosures and other statements contained in any AASTE materials and the terms and conditions of the Official Rules, these Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control.

Use of Entry Materials

All winners agree to the use of their names and likenesses in publicity without notice or any additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. By submitting an application, the winners acknowledge that Amgen has the right to publicize and broadcast their name, voice, and likeness, the fact that they won, and all matters incidental thereto. Amgen is not obligated to attribute submissions to the applicants. Subject to applicable law, applicants waive any rights of privacy, intellectual property rights, and other rights that may preclude Amgen from using or disclosing their application and related materials or information. All materials submitted in connection with AASTE, and all information provided by Amgen in connection therewith is, or shall become, the property of the Amgen Foundation (in the case of US awards) or Amgen Inc. (in the case of Canada awards). Applicants release Amgen from any claims arising out of any use or disclosure of their applications consistent with these Official Rules.

All application materials will be shared with and among the independent panel of judges, however, Amgen will use reasonable efforts to keep details such as addresses, phone numbers, email and other identifiable contact information which is contained solely in the application materials confidential, except as between the judges, and shall use this information solely for the purpose of contacting applicants in connection with AASTE.

Tax Information

All U.S., Canada, state, provincial, local and other income taxes on awards are the sole responsibility of the applicable winner.  In order to avoid U.S. back-up withholding tax, a winner will be required to provide either an IRS Form W-9 or W-8BEN to certify their status as either a U.S. or non-U.S. person. Each winner will be issued an IRS Form 1099-MISC reporting the value of the award and any back-up withholding taxes, if applicable. We suggest that you contact your tax advisor for further details.

Winners List

For the names of winners, available after the conclusion of AASTE, please visit the AASTE Recent Winners page.