ASFB Early Career Excellence Award
 

Preamble
The Australian Society for Fish Biology (ASFB) Early Career Excellence Award is given to an early career scientist who has made an exceptional advance in the study of fish biology and/or fisheries that has fundamentally changed our understanding and/or management of fishes (fish includes commercially important molluscs and crustaceans). Only one award will be made in a given year, and only if a candidate of exceptional quality is nominated.

Eligibility
Nominations will be accepted for an early career scientist who is within 7 years of conferral of their highest postgraduate degree (either a Masters or PhD). An award will be made based on evidence of substantive contributions to the field of fish biology or fisheries made during postgraduate study (Masters and/or PhD) and up to five (5) years following conferral of the nominee’s last postgraduate degree. Extensions to these eligibility timeframes due to career breaks will be considered upon application. Nominees must be ASFB financial members at the time of application.

Judging for the award will be made by an anonymous Committee consisting of three ASFB members who will evaluate tangible evidence (provided by the nominee) of how the nominee’s work has significantly advanced the field of fish biology or fisheries science and/or management. Decisions on excellence will be made relative to scientists of similar career-stage and the timeframe over which the contributions were made. The award will be presented at the ASFB annual conference, and the winner will be invited to present a plenary presentation of their work at a subsequent conference.

Applications
Nominations for the award should be made by an ASFB member other than the nominee, via a one-page letter to the Chair of the ASFB Awards Committee that includes full contact details for the nominee and key reasons why they should be considered for the award. At the discretion of the Committee, nominees will then be asked to submit an application for the award, which must comprise the following:
i)    Cover Letter (2 pages max.) demonstrating why they are eligible (and any extenuating circumstances) and the key significant contributions of their work to the field of fish and/or fisheries science or management;
ii)    Curriculum Vitae (3 pages max.) outlining the awards, publications, patents, conference presentations and other information the committee may use to judge excellence, plus the names of three referees who can make comment on the nominees research. At least one of these referees should not be closely associated with the nominee (i.e. held a grant, published or otherwise worked closely together with the nominee over the past 10 years);
iii)    Supporting Evidence (10 pages max.) containing tangible evidence that can be used by the committee to judge the significance of the nominees work. This may include key papers (and citations), reports, photographs, models, website(s), patents or other such evidence that the nominee considers to demonstrate the innovation and impact of their work for ichthyology.
 

Closing date for applications

Nominations and applications are now extended to 31 May 2013. Nominations and applications should be submitted via e-mail by the due dates to: Michelle Treloar

For more information contact Bronwyn Gillanders

 

Award Recipients

2012: Assoc. Prof. Alison King (Charles Darwin University) has made significant contributions to the field of environmental flow restoration and was the first to highlight the importance of the main channel environment in the Murray-Darling Basin for rearing some fish species, even under low flow conditions. 
 

2011: Dr Rebecca Fisher (Oceans Institute, UWA) for contributions and breakthroughs in our understanding of larval fish dispersal and connectivity.