Dozens of test tubes in a holder

Megan Cleveland Awarded Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)

Tue, Jan 28, 2025
Dr. Megan Cleveland

Dr. Megan Cleveland, NIST-IBBR scientist, is among 400 early-career scientists to be honored with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the U.S. government's highest honor for outstanding early researchers. This recognition acknowledges her outstanding contributions to science and engineering. As part of the award, Dr. Cleveland will receive $500,000 in funding to advance her research over a five-year period.  

The White House press release noted that the PECASE highlights “scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers. The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future.” It also highlights the importance of strengthening connections between research and their societal impacts. 

Dr. Cleveland’s research is focused on clinical diagnostics and biomanufacturing. She has contributed much to developing advanced materials for digital PCR and next generation sequencing. Cleveland has also played a key role in leading multiple projects including virus DNA qualitative standards NIST SRM 2365 and 2367, research test grade material for SARS-CoV-2, and more recently, genetic material to validate bird flu diagnostic tests.  Currently, she is also co-leading a team working on the development of NISTCHO RM, a reference mammalian cell line that produces the sequence of the NISTmAb RM 8671. Cleveland’s work is and continues to contribute to push the boundaries of knowledge and application of next-generation materials in a wide range of scientific fields from genomics to biomanufacturing.   

White House press release:

https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ostp/news-updates/2025/01/14/president-biden-honors-nearly-400-federally-funded-early-career-scientists/