 • Distinguished Award of Merit—The Council's highest award, given to individuals for exemplary achievement.Recipients include former Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Herbert Hoover, General Lucius Clay, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, Carl Sagan, W. Edwards Deming, and Neil Armstrong.• QBS Awards Program—Co-sponsored with NSPE, the QBS Awards recognize public and private entities that make exemplary use of the qualifications-based selection (QBS) process at the state and local levels.