Outstanding Publication Award

The Early Career Ecologists (ECE) Section of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) announces our Second Annual Award for Outstanding Publication by an Early Career Ecologist. This award is meant to honor exceptional research by an ECE section member published as a peer-reviewed manuscript of particular importance and relevance to the ecological community. The award consists of a $300 cash prize, and the winner will be announced at the ESA-ECE business meeting and awards ceremony at the ESA annual meeting.

Eligibility
– Only current members of the ESA Early Career Ecologists Section can apply (see here to check whether you are a current member). Section membership is $5 for ESA members.
– Must hold a terminal degree (MS or PhD) awarded after May 1, 2013. Exceptions on the graduation time limit will be made on a case-by-case basis (e.g., maternity/paternity leave, sick leave, etc.). Requests for an exception should be explained in the cover letter of the application (see below).
– The paper must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal after June 1, 2016 or be in press by June 1, 2020.
– Members of groups underrepresented in science are strongly encouraged to apply.

Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed by an awards committee consisting of the officers of the ESA-ECE Section and top candidates will be passed on to a select group of academic and professional early career ecologists. Identifying information will be removed from the papers  during the review process. The award honors early career ecologists that publish papers of high significance to the scientific community. The applications are evaluated on the following three criteria:

– Paper’s contribution to the field: the work is published in a recognized, peer-reviewed journal of good standing. It is original, addresses novel hypotheses with an innovative approach, is well written, and provides broad insights to the field of ecology.
– Broader impact: The manuscript is clear in its relevance to real world environmental problems or issues.
– Time since receiving your terminal degree will be considered when assessing the impact, scope, and scale of the nominated publication.

Application process
The application package should consist of the following 2 items, which are due by 5 pm EST on June 26th, 2020:

1. A 1-page cover letter prepared using Times New Roman 12-point font with 1-inch margins on all sides. The cover letter should contain:
– A 150-word description of the main point(s) of the paper and their importance for ecology at large.

– A sentence confirming that the candidate is a member of the ESA-ECE Section.
– Type of terminal degree and the date it was awarded (e.g.: PhD, 21-SEPT-2018)
– If appropriate, any extenuating circumstances for inclusion into the competition by a candidate with a terminal degree awarded prior to May 1, 2013.

2. The publication, including all pertinent supplementary online materials. If the paper is in press, please also attach the email confirming publication by the journal. Please e-mail all documentation as a single PDF file named “2020_LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_ECE_Paper_Award.pdf” to earlycareer@nullesa.org with the subject line “ECE Paper Award” by the aforementioned deadline. Late applications or applications that do not meet the eligibility and application criteria above will not be considered.