ESA Awards Information for Students
Background
The Ecological Society of America, and its individual chapters and section, provide a variety of awards to recognize the contribution of scientist in the field of ecology. The ESA History Awards Webpage provides background on past award, and is a great way to become more familiar with the work of scientists who have made major contribution to the field of ecology.
A complete and up-to-date list of available awards and detailed description of each award can be found on the ESA Awards Webpage. The website for individual chapters and sections also contain information on the application process and due dates for the awards they give out. The number of awards and amounts given vary from year to year, particularly for the student travel awards. As we receive up to date information on awards for this year that are of interest to students, we will posting that information (due dates, application procedures, etc.) on the 2012 Student Section Awards page in the first part of 2012.
Background on the awards process
Awards given by individual chapters and sections are usually evaluated by the officers of that section. The deadlines for awards given by individual chapters and section vary; check the ESA Awards Webpage, chapters and sections webpages, and the 2012 Student Section Awards page for details. Serving as a liaison from the student section to another chapter or section is one way to learn more about the awards process of an individual chapters and sections.
The awards are given at the ESA Scientific Plenary and ESA Awards Session (Buell and Braun Awards, Distinguished Service Citation, Eminent Ecologist Award, George Mercer Award, Honorary Member Award, Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education, Robert H. MacArthur Award, Sustainability Science Award, and W.S. Cooper Award) are overseen by the ESA awards committee. Nominations for these awards are all due December 15. Each of these awards has its own subcommittee that evaluates applicants and selects the nominee for the award. Nominees are gathered by the awards committee chair, which brings them to the ESA governing board for approval.
Awards of Interest to Students
Student Research Awards
Buell and Braun Awards
Murray F. Buell Award for Excellence in Ecology is given to a student for the outstanding oral paper presented at the ESA Annual Meeting. The award is presented at the following year's ESA Annual Meeting.
The E. Lucy Braun Award for Excellence in Ecology is given to a student for the outstanding poster presentation at the ESA Annual Meeting.
Thomas M. Frost Award for Excellence in Graduate Research
The Aquatic Section of the Ecological Society of America gives this award to a scientist in recognition of an outstanding paper resulting from research done as a graduate student.
Edward S. Deevey Award
The Paleoecology Section gives this award of $300 for the best presentation of paleoecological research by a graduate student at the ESA Annual Meeting. Occasionally, a runner-up is also chosen.
New Phytologist Poster Award
Physiological Ecology section gives this award to a student for the best physiological ecology poster presentation at the annual ESA meeting
Soil Ecology Section - Best Poster/Best Talk Awards
The Soil Ecology section gives this cash prize recognizing the best student presentation (talk or poster) in soil ecology at the ESA Annual Meeting.
E.C. Pielou Student Award
This competitive award is given by the Statistical Ecology Section to a graduate student or recent Ph.D. graduate based on overall quality of the student's scientific contribution to statistical ecology, as evidenced by his or her oral presentation at the Annual Meeting.
Academic Excellence Award for Young Women in Ecology
The ESA Student Section gives this award to one female student for academic excellence demonstrated by an outstanding research publication and a commitment to increase the visibility of other women scientists.
Best Undergraduate Presentation Awards
The ESA Student Section gives this award for the best undergraduate student oral presentation and the best undergraduate student poster presentation.
Third Annual Outstanding Student Research in Ecology Awards
The ESA Student Section gives this award to an undergraduate student, a graduate student, or individuals that have received a Ph.D. within the past two years for excellence in research via an outstanding publication.
Lotka-Volterra Student Awards
The Theoretical Ecology Section awards the Alfred J. Lotka and Vito Volterra prizes for the best presentations given by graduate student members of the ESA. Awardee must be the sole or first author, and present a talk or poster at the ESA Annual Meeting describing original research in theoretical ecology.
Ton Damman Award
The Vegetation section gives this award to a graduate student or very recent post-graduate scientist for the best oral presentation in Vegetation Science at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Students competing for the Damman Award must meet all the criteria for ESA's Buell Award.
Service Awards
UCS ESA-SS Ecoservice Award
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in partnership with the Student Section of the Ecological Society of America (ESA-SS) gives this award honoring young scientists for their contributions to the discipline of ecology that have extended beyond the realm of academia and into the broader communities of which they are a part.
Eco-Vision Competition
The ESA Student Section gives this award for outstanding visual arts contributions made by ESA members to ecological science through still photography and multimedia creations.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Mentor Recognition Awards
The Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Section gives one Research Mentor award for exemplary research mentoring of the ecological community in applying TEK/LEK to ecology
The Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Section gives one Cultural Mentor ($250) for exemplary cultural mentoring of students and early-career faculty in the field of ecology.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Community Service Award
The Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Section gives this to a local community member who has distinguished him/herself working with local community on ecological issues.
Student Travel Awards available from:
- Applied Ecology Section
- Long-Term Studies Section (J.T. Callahan Student Travel Award)
- Plant Population Ecology Section
- Microbial Ecology Section
- Rangeland Ecology Section
- Soil Ecology Section
- Student Section
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Section (Section student member)
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Section (Indigenous student)
- Urban Ecosystem Ecology Section
- Vegetation Section - Mexico Chapter
Awards for which students may wish to nominate excellent mentors:
Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education
This award recognizes an experienced ecologist for outstanding work in ecology education.
Education and Human Resources Committee Diversity Award
This award is given in recognition of long-standing contributions of an individual towards increasing the diversity of future ecologists through mentoring, teaching, or outreach.