The award encourages and recognizes innovative research and discoveries in biodiversity informatics

June 10, 2024 is the deadline for postgraduate students in Argentina who want to submit their research, based on biodiversity data, to this international stimulus

The GBIF Argentine Node, on behalf of the Secretariat, invites nominations for the 2024 Graduate Researchers Award. This is an annual program that aims to encourage and recognize innovative research and discoveries in the field of biodiversity informatics, carried out by postgraduate students, whose master’s and doctoral projects are based on the open data mediated by GBIF.

The 2024 program will award two prizes of 5,000 euros to recognize the work of two researchers who are beginning their career (preferably, one master’s student and one doctoral student) and who formally receive nominations from the heads of delegation and the node administrators of GBIF participating countries.

Eligibility

To be a nominee for the award, candidates must meet the following:

• Be Argentine citizens or citizens of a country participating in GBIF.
• Be a university student and be enrolled in a postgraduate program at a university located in Argentina.
• Provide a letter of support verifying your affiliation with a university graduate program.

Nominations will be made by the GBIF Argentine Node.

Submission process and deadlines

• Students who wish to be nominated must submit their candidacy to the GBIF Argentine Node before June 10, 2024, including supporting documents and their proposals to the email plos@macn.gov.ar.
• The proposals will be reviewed by members of the GBIF Argentine Node and a maximum of two will be selected to be sent as nominees to the GBIF Secretariat before June 24, 2024, the deadline on which the Secretariat receives nominations from the nodes. Incomplete proposals will not be taken into account.
• A jury organized by the GBIF Scientific Committee will select *two winners *, among the global nominations.
• Winners will be announced prior to the 31st meeting of the GBIF Board of Directors (GB31) and their work will be presented at the meeting in Porto, Portugal, in October 2024.

Submit your proposal

Selection process and criteria

The GBIF Argentine Node and the GBIF Scientific Committee will review the nominations and select the winners based on the following criteria:

• Originality and innovation.
• Use and strategic importance of data accessed through GBIF.
• Effectiveness and measurable impact in advancing biodiversity informatics and biodiversity conservation.

Proposals that are not selected may be updated and resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years.

Awardees are expected to recognize GBIF support when disseminating research results through peer-reviewed publications, presentations at professional meetings, and other means.

Award Nomination Package

Candidates must prepare their proposal and supporting documents in English and include the following in their nomination packages:

1. Research summary (200 words)
2. Project description (maximum 5 pages, 12 point Arial) that describes
   1. How research advances biodiversity informatics and/or biodiversity conservation.
   2. The role that GBIF-mediated data plays in addressing these questions. Research proposals should clearly demonstrate how the study incorporates data mobilized through GBIF. Students who have questions about data mobilized through GBIF should work with academic advisors, the GBIF Argentine Node, the GBIF Secretariat, or members of the Scientific Committee to increase their understanding.
   3. The scope of the research, the plan, the methodologies, the relevant bibliographic citations and the schedule.
   4. If relevant, a description or extract of a data management plan that describes how data related to the research will be published or prepared for publication through the GBIF network to GBIF.org.
3. Curriculum vitae of the applicant student, including complete contact information at the home institution.
4. Supporting documents
   1. An official letter from the student’s mentor/supervisor or dean of the faculty certifying that the applicant is a student enrolled in the university’s graduate program.
   2. At least one, and no more than three, letters of support from established researchers active in a field that encompasses and incorporates biodiversity informatics (e.g., genetics, species composition and functional traits, biogeography, ecology, systematics, etc.)

You can also consult the news in GBIF: Call for nominations for the GBIF Award for Graduate Researchers 2024 is open