Every era defines itself by what it chooses to recognize. From the Academy Awards honoring film, to the early National Information Infrastructure (NII) Awards (1995–1999) that recognized the Internet—widely described as the “Oscars of the Internet” and the “Academy Awards of the Information Age.”

Now, more than three decades later, for America’s 250th year, the America First Academy of Arts & Sciences™ (AFAAS™) presents the National Intelligence Infrastructure Awards™ (NII Awards™)—Honoring the Best of SI™ as a defining platform for recognizing excellence across America’s new Golden Age of Super Intelligence.

As recognized in Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan (The White House, 2025) and the subsequent inauguration of the Era of Super Intelligence, the United States is engaged in a race to achieve global leadership in Super Intelligence. The nation that develops and applies the world’s most advanced SI capabilities will help shape global standards while securing decisive economic, technological, and national security advantages. Just as America won the Space Race and its industrial leadership defined previous eras, leadership in Super Intelligence is equally—if not more—mission-critical to the nation’s future strength, security, prosperity, and peace.

Super Intelligence is poised to become one of the defining forces of the twenty-first century. The NII Awards™ recognize excellence in leadership, innovation, and contribution to the continuing development of the Intelligence Age among those helping build that future.

The NII Awards™ recognize real-world applications and measurable impact across the National Intelligence Infrastructure™—highlighting examples of excellence that strengthen America’s economic competitiveness, national security, and long-term prosperity.

The NII Awards™ honor excellence in innovative applications that use the National Intelligence Infrastructure™ to address real-world challenges and deliver enduring measurable impact. The Academy believes that the full promise of Super Intelligence is realized not through technology alone, but through the vision, leadership, and responsible application of that technology in ways that advance cooperation, innovation, and the long-term flourishing of society.

The NII Awards™ seek not only to recognize and advance American excellence in the  new Super Intelligence Era, but to help document, preserve, and elevate examples of excellence to inform and inspire future generations.

Through the creation of an enduring institutional record, the Academy seeks to help ensure that important contributions, lessons, and achievements are not lost to time, but remain available as part of our collective inheritance to those who follow.

 The NII Awards™ are governed by the America First Academy of Arts & Sciences™ (AFAAS™), an independent, non-partisan, academy-governed institution established to recognize enduring excellence, service, and contribution to the American experiment. 

 Founding Partners may certainly participate in the Academy ecosystem, including through expertise, nominations, and, when appropriately qualified, judging or voting. Participation is easily handled by automated documented conflict-of-interest safeguards, including disclosure, recusal, and abstention where appropriate. Founding Partner status confers no authority to purchase, direct, control, or otherwise determine award outcomes or Academy governance. 

All recognitions are conferred by the America First Academy of Arts & Sciences™ (AFAAS™) based on consistent, enduring standards designed to ensure long-term credibility beyond any single event, cycle, or individual.

Eligible individuals, organizations, and initiatives are identified through the Academy nominations and submissions process aligned with the NII Awards™ category framework.

The Academy does not accept submission fees.

 Submissions are evaluated by Category Chairs and VIP Judges under the governance of AFAAS™, applying consistent criteria focused on innovation, alignment, and impact, using a leading, secure, independent, SI-powered award submissions and judging platform to efficiently manage the selection and documentation of shortlists, finalists, and winners. 

 Recognitions are conferred by the Academy based on established, consistent standards and long-term significance, independent of any external influence.  

NII Awards™ is an independent, patriotic, non-partisan, national awards program presented by the America First Academy of Arts & Sciences™ (AFAAS™) and is not affiliated with any government entity or any official America 250 commission.

The Academy does not accept gifts, contributions, sponsorships, or other financial support from foreign governments. In addition, the Academy will not accept support from any individual or entity owned or controlled by, directed by, materially financed by, or acting on behalf of a country designated by the United States as a foreign adversary under 15 CFR § 791.4, as amended. The Academy reserves the right to decline any gift, contribution, sponsorship, or other support that could compromise, or reasonably create the appearance of compromising, its independence, institutional integrity, governance, reputation, or alignment with the national interest. 

The Academy intends to plan and conduct the NII Awards™ program in a manner consistent with applicable federal ethics laws, regulations, and guidance governing the participation of Members of Congress, congressional staff, executive branch officials, and other public officials, including, where applicable, the widely attended event provisions of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate ethics rules. All invitations and participation by government officials remain subject to the ethics requirements and approvals applicable to their respective offices. Nothing in this policy is intended to supersede or modify the ethics obligations applicable to any invited public official or employee. 

The Academy maintains exclusive authority to issue or authorize invitations to Members of Congress, congressional staff, executive branch officials, military leaders, and other government representatives for the NII Awards™ and related Academy programs. Founding Support Partners, participants, vendors, and other third parties may not independently extend invitations on behalf of the Academy or the NII Awards™. All government participation remains subject to the ethics requirements, review 

procedures, and approvals applicable to the invited individual’s office or agency.