The J. Bruce Award was a Federation prize awarded to a person who made achievements in a field of technology, science, or engineering. Members of Starfleet serving in technical fields could receive this award, which could include a scholarship. (TNG: "Eye of the Beholder")
The late Daniel Kwan, who died aboard USS Enterprise-D in 2370, had been the recipient of a J. Bruce engineering scholarship.
Starfleet serviceman Darien Wallace won the J. Bruce Award for bioengineering on stardate 47100.
It is possible, but not certain, that this organization is named for an individual or organization, with the name "J. Bruce". Since the "J. Bruce Award" was listed next to the "Campbell Award", its possible this may be intended to reference noted author J. Campbell Bruce.