Dongarra, Antoine Petitet and Clint Whaley received an R&D 100 Award for Automatically Tuned Linear Algebra Software (ATLAS). ATLAS is an approach that automatically generates and optimizes such software for machines that range from desktop workstations to embedded processors. The package, which contains code generators, sophisticated timers, and robust search routines, achieves this by adapting itself to differing architectures via code generation coupled with timing.

Dongarra, Dorian Arnold, and Henri Casanova received an R&D 100 Award for NetSolve. NetSolve is a network-based computational server that allows users to access computational resources, such as hardware and software, distributed across the network. The goal of the project is to bring together disparate computational resources connected by computer networks. The client/agent/server system allows remote access to both hardware and software components.

In addition, Dongarra was elected to Fellow Grade for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), effective January 1, 2000. He was recognized for contributions and leadership in the field of computational mathematics. IEEE Fellow nominations are initiated by members and the public, then reviewed by a panel of peers. Their recommendations are submitted to the IEEE Awards Board prior to ultimate approval by the IEEE Board of Directors.