Skip to main content

Ton Damman Award

The Ton Damman Award is given to a graduate student or very recent post-graduate scientist for the best oral presentation in vegetation ecology at the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. This award recognizes the lifetime dedication of Ton Damman to the advancement of vegetation ecology. While his professional career revolved around his research on peatland ecology, biogeography, plant community classification and ecology, his teaching focused on broader plant ecological issues. Working with his students and other colleagues, he approached his research with unparalleled commitment and untiring zeal. He was an ardent conservationist of wildlands and biological diversity. His love for the out-of-doors served as a model for the many students and professionals with whom he came into contact. A candidate for this award does not need to be a member of the Vegetation Section, but does need to participate in the Annual Meeting by submitting, as first author, an abstract in the field of vegetation ecology and giving an oral presentation. All candidate abstracts and presentations are evaluated by judges from the Vegetation Section who determine the winner based on criteria described below. All finalists for the award (the number varies depending on funding) receive a registration grant (early bird registration at ESA member rate) and the overall winner receives also a certificate and a cash award ($400).
Eligibility: Current graduate students, and those graduated after April 15 of the year prior to their presentation at the ESA Annual Meeting, are eligible as long as they (1) are the lead author, and (2) give an oral presentation in vegetation ecology (posters are not eligible).
Evaluation process and criteria: Vegetation Section judges select candidate abstracts to compete as finalists for the award at the ESA Annual Meeting. Each of the finalists receives a registration grant to attend the Annual Meeting where Vegetation Section judges attend and evaluate their talks to select the winner based on the following criteria (each assessed on a 1-5 scale): (1) Significance of ideas for the field of vegetation ecology, (2) Creativity, (3) Quality of methodology, (4) Validity of conclusions drawn from results, and (5) Clarity of presentation. The presented paper with the lowest (best) score summed across all judges is selected as the winner. In the event of a tie, Vegetation Section membership determines the winner by first considering the lead author’s and then (if needed) co-authors’ memberships.
When and how to apply: Apply as soon as your abstract is accepted by ESA Annual Meeting organizers and by May 31, 2023, at the latest by sending your application to esavegetation@nullgmail.com. The application should include the following (all in a single pdf file): (1) a copy of your ESA abstract with the title of your presentation and author names and affiliations, (2) a brief paragraph describing how the presentation relates to the objectives of the Ton Damman Award, and (3) information on your section membership and status as a current graduate student or recent postgraduate (see eligibility above).