EFFS Award

The European Federation for Freshwater Sciences (EFFS) makes a biennial award for the Best European PhD Dissertation.  Candidates must have submitted their thesis in Europe and be a member of a federated Association, each of which can nominate up to two candidates (or up to four for Associations like the FBA that collect members from more than one country).  The first award was made in 2013 and the second was made in 2015, for candidates who had successfully defended their theses in 2013 and 2014.  Details can be found at www.freshwatersciences.eu.

The main prize consists of a Diploma and a grant to attend the next Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences (SEFS), including registration fee, travel and lodging. During this meeting, the winning author is required to give a dedicated Plenary Lecture on his/her PhD dissertation topic. There are also two subsidiary prizes of a Diploma and a grant covering the registration fee to attend the next SEFS. The next SEFS will take place in Olomouc, Czech Republic in 2017.

The FBA is the federated Association for the United Kingdom and as such will be administering submissions from this country. We will also consider submissions from members outside the UK who do not have their own national, federated Association. We will be administering this process in the following way:

1. Submissions are to be made by the PhD supervisor on behalf of the student.
2. The submission will comprise:

a) a copy of the thesis (in PDF format, on CD-ROM), which will not be returned but will be added to the FBA Library;
b)  an extended abstract (maximum of 5 pages A4 single-spaced, including no more than 4 figures), countersigned by the supervisor;
c) a list of publications (including conference presentations) arising from the work, completed, in press or in review, countersigned by the supervisor;
d) a signed declaration from the student confirming that he/she has not submitted an application for the EFFS award via another Association;
e) a signed note from the supervisor confirming the nomination and that the thesis was successfully defended and completed in 2015 or 2016.

3. Once the judging panel has chosen its preferred nominations, these will be forwarded to the international judging panel.

The closing date for receipt of nominations to the FBA is 30 September 2016. If you wish to nominate a thesis that will be completed after this time, please send the abstract, list of publications and a note confirming the intention to complete by 31 December 2016. The final thesis must then be received by 4 January 2017.  Applications should be submitted by post on CD and with signed forms to the Secretary of the FBA Grants & Awards Committee, Dr Melanie Fletcher, The Freshwater Biological Association, The Ferry House, The Ferry Landing, Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LP.

Note that the award is only open to students who were FBA members when their PhD was submitted and defended (or, if this is planned later in 2016, who were members on 1 July 2016) and who remain members in good standing until the SEFS meeting in 2017.