The Early Professional Award is awarded by BOU Council for an outstanding initial contribution to the field of ornithology.

Nominations are currently closed. The call for nominations normally runs from June to September each year. When open, you will be able to make nominations via this page.

Criteria

Nominees should be within 10 years of their last degree, discounting career breaks and/or extended periods of absence. The outstanding initial contribution should be in one or more of the following categories:

I. Ornithological research

• Research outputs (could include timely practical application of science to real-world issues, e.g. conservation, disease control/epidemiology, evidence-based policy, human wellbeing)
• Fieldwork
• Data collection/analysis
• Reviewing and editing
• Scientific conference presentations

II. Community activities

• Practical contribution to the research community (e.g. scientific monitoring, management/curation of open-access datasets or github repositories)
• Contribution to the organisation of conferences
• Involvement with one or more community societies/organisations
• Perpetuating and supporting networks / communities / Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives

III. Capacity building and mentorship

• Supervision (academic and pastoral, official and unofficial)
• Teaching (informal and formal)
• Training in practical techniques / provision of shadowing program opportunities
• Establishing and fostering networks / communities / Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives

IV. Science communication and engagement

• Promoting the science of ornithology outside traditional professional ornithological settings to the wider ornithological community. This could include:

• • Use of social platforms to communicate their own or others’ research
  • Non-academic writing, e.g. blogs
  • Communicating their own or others’ research to non-academic ornithology audiences, e.g. bird clubs

This award is open to BOU members and non-members.

The award

Recipients receive a framed silkscreen print of Zosia Frankowska’s Giant Ibis (shown above), presented at a BOU or other agreed conference, and an award citation will be published in IBIS. The artwork prize was selected through an open competition in 2023 for establishing and amateur artists.

Read more about the art competition

Award frequency

Nominations are sought annually, though the prize may not be awarded annually if suitable nominations are not received.

Previous recipients

2025 Oliver Padget Read IBIS citation

2024 Wouter M.G. Vansteelant Read IBIS citation