Young Researchers Award

The GBIF Secretariat currently presents two annual prizes: the Young Researchers Award (described below) and the GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge.

Young Researchers Awards

The Young Researchers Awards is an annual programme aimed at fostering innovative research and discovery in biodiversity informatics. The YRAs provide prizes to two graduate students—generally one Master’s candidate and one Ph.D candidate—nominated by GBIF Participant countries.

Read the call for the 2018 awards

Since its inception in 2010, the GBIF Young Researchers Award has sought to encourage innovation in the use and mobilization of biodiversity data shared through the GBIF network.

Calls for nominations go out each spring, and interested students must submit applications to the Head of Delegation of a GBIF Participant country. These national delegations are responsible for forwarding a maximum of two nominations to the GBIF Secretariat.

Graduate students wishing to be considered for the nominations should consult the websites of their national GBIF Participants or contact the Head of Delegation or node manager directly. The GBIF Secretariat and national Participants whose nominees are selected to receive the award are announced just before GBIF’s annual Governing Board meeting.

Previous winners

Special thanks

We wish to note our gratitude to SBNO: Stichting ter Bevordering van Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek and Pensoft Publishers, which funded and supported the 2017 GBIF Young Researchers Award, respectively.