#Associations

2024-02-01

Nominations open for 2024 AATCC Awards

AATCC presents several prestigious awards each year, along with thousands of dollars in honoraria. Some awards were established to recognize outstanding achievers in the textile sciences, whose discoveries influenced the world. Others recognize AATCC members for service to the Association that has strengthened and promoted its purpose and mission to the world.

Nominate a deserving colleague, mentor, or protégé to acknowledge hard work and innovation. Nominations for all awards are due March 31, 2024. Selected recipients will be recognized at the AATCC Textile Discovery Summit October 6-8,2024. Awards include complementary registration for the Summit, and several include cash prizes.

Learn more about AATCC awards or submit a nomination at https://aatcc.org/awards/.

Olney Medal

Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Olney, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of major importance to textile science. Recognize achievement in textile science with a nomination for the Olney Medal. https://www.aatcc.org/olney/

Chapin Award

The Chapin Award was established in 1958 in honor of Harold C. Chapin, professor of chemistry at Lowell Textile School, who served as national secretary of AATCC for nearly 25 years. Senior members who have dedicated 20 or more years of continuous service to the Association are eligible for nomination. The award is presented as a beautifully illustrated scroll. Nominate a dedicated colleague today. https://www.aatcc.org/chapin/

AATCC Technical Committee on Research (TCR) Service Award

The award recognizes up to two senior members, with at least five years of continuous membership in AATCC, who have contributed outstanding technical service to the Association through activity in a research committee. Celebrate a committee member’s effort with a nomination for the TCR Service Award. https://www.aatcc.org/tcr/

AATCC Future Leaders Award

This award recognizes promising young professionals in the fields of textiles, apparel, and related material sciences. Nominees must be members of AATCC, 39 years of age or younger, and exhibit leadership skills. Encourage young professionals by nominating them for the AATCC Future Leaders Award. https://www.aatcc.org/leaders/

AATCC Education Award

This award was created to recognize those members who have contributed extensively to the educational activities of AATCC. https://www.aatcc.org/educationaward/

AATCC Faculty Advisor Award

This award recognizes and promotes the work of AATCC student chapter faculty advisors who actively work to ensure their AATCC student chapters are active and growing. Nominate an AATCC student chapter advisor for the important work of leading emerging textile professionals. https://www.aatcc.org/facultyaward/

New funding available for textile research

The AATCC Foundation Student Research Support Grant Program provides financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing textile-related projects. Students may submit proposals now for funding to be awarded January 2026. Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2025, to be considered.

Joint Statement: Urgent clarification needed on scope of Textiles EPR for PPE and Medical Devices

EDANA, the voice of nonwovens, alongside fellow industry associations CIRFS (European Man-Made Fibres Association), EURATEX (The European Apparel and Textile Confederation), ESF (European Safety Federation), and EuroCommerce (Retail & Wholesale), has issued a joint statement raising critical concerns regarding the transposition of Directive (EU) 2025/1892, the targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive.

Young researchers recognised for cutting-edge work in recycling, fibre technology and textile mechanics

At the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference held in Aachen at the end of November, Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, honoured five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses that develop solutions for resource-saving products and technologies, for example, are eligible for the sustainability awards.

Level playing field at stake: Europe’s textile industry demands decisive action

Yesterday, the European Parliament took a welcomed and necessary step by voting a resolution calling for stronger market surveillance, reinforced customs controls and faster enforcement of the Digital Services Act in case of infringements. For Europe’s textile and clothing manufacturers, this is the first political acknowledgement that the system is broken — and that enforcement must finally match the scale of the problem.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen: Let´s Talk about Cotton!

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, to be held on 25-27 March 2026 in Bremen’s parliament building on market square, once again sends a powerful signal for professional excellence and international dialogue. The focus is on the latest market trends and technical innovations throughout the entire value chain – from agriculture and quality assurance to processing and the circular economy. With its high-calibre speakers, the conference remains an indispensable forum for anyone involved in shaping the cotton industry scientifically, technically, or economically.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.