Nominations open for 2023 GEO Awards

The "How to" Webinar recording on GEO Awards is available here

Nominations are now open for the GEO Awards 2023. This year, the awards will have two categories, recognizing both emerging individual leaders and teams who have demonstrated remarkable commitment to the GEO mission and vision.

The awards celebrate achievements such as generating social impact, influencing policies, and advancing a diverse and inclusive GEO. Learn more about last year’s Individual Excellence Awards winners and their achievements here.

Nominations, including self-nominations and nominations by sponsors, should be submitted by July 31, 2023. The award winners will be honored at a ceremony on 8 November during GEO Week 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The GEO Secretariat will be hosting webinars in July to provide insights on writing a good application and will be answering questions about the awards.

Selection criteria

Up to two awardees will be selected for each of the two award categories. The submission should be for a project or achievement that has been implemented within the last five (5) years.

The jury will use the following criteria to select Emerging Leader Award winners:

• Leadership Role and Impact: The nominee must have held a leadership role that resulted in a concrete and measurable impact in the field of Earth observation (EO) within the past five (5) years. This impact should be clearly demonstrated through successful projects, initiatives, or advocacy efforts that have made a tangible difference.
• Effective Communication and Advocacy: The nominee must have demonstrated exceptional ability in effectively communicating and advocating for youth perspectives and concerns in the field of EO. This criteria acknowledges the importance of amplifying the voices of young leaders and their contributions to the GEO community.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Assess the nominee’s ability to collaborate effectively with others and work as part of a team in advancing EO initiatives. This criterion highlights the importance of teamwork and collaboration skills, which are crucial for achieving collective goals within the GEO community.
• Innovation: The nominee should have shown innovation in their style or approach to tackling challenges and driving positive changes in the field of EO. This criterion recognizes individuals who have displayed creativity, originality, and forward-thinking in their work.
• Age Limit: The nominee must be under (including) 35 years old, reflecting the goal of acknowledging emerging leaders and promoting opportunities for the younger generation within the GEO community.
• Alignment with GEO’s Core Values: The nominee’s efforts should be consistent with GEO’s core values and principles, including the promotion of open data, collaboration, and the sustainable use of EO data for societal benefits.
• Regional and Gender Balance: The awards jury will consider regional and gender balance among the recipients to ensure diverse representation and inclusivity within the Emerging Leader Award category.

The jury will use the following criteria to select Team Impact Award winners:

1. Accomplishment and Measurable Impact: The team's efforts must have led to a concrete and measurable impact in the field of EO within the last five (5) years. This impact should be demonstrated through successful projects, initiatives, or actions that have resulted in social, economic, or environmental benefits. Assessment of impact will be determined by the below illustrative examples:

• Establishing sustained communities focused on EO.
• Generating social and economic benefits for citizens and countries through the use of EO.
• Influencing policies through EO-related discussions and driving policy changes.
• Fostering the adoption and sustainability of specific EO language in new fora.
• Increasing involvement in EO-related initiatives with specific attention to diverse representation, including youth, gender, and geographic inclusion.
• Advancing the development of new products, procedures, or policy-relevant research through flagship initiatives, pilot initiatives, or communities.

2. Active Global or Regional Network: The team should have a proven track record of active engagement and collaboration within a global or regional community, working towards the advancement of EO use for decision-making processes.
3. Alignment with GEO's Core Values: The team's efforts should align with GEO's core values and principles, including the promotion of collaboration, open data sharing, and the sustainable use of EO data.
4. Originality and Innovation: The team should have demonstrated originality and innovation in the use of EO to address challenges and drive positive changes. This criterion acknowledges teams that have gone beyond conventional approaches and have introduced novel solutions or methodologies.
5. Regional Balance: The awards jury will consider regional balance among the awardees, ensuring representation from different regions and acknowledging the global nature of the GEO community.

Nomination Guidelines:

• Nominations will be made using this nomination form.
• The main element of the nomination is a maximum 2-page write-up detailing why the candidate(s) deserves this recognition and the importance of the nominee’s effort against the relevant criteria. Nominations for the Emerging Leader Award should include a brief CV and nominations for the team impact can include supporting information, such as impact stories, reports etc. The nomination should address as many selection criteria as possible, as substantively as possible.
• For the Emerging Leader Award, the primary nominator will secure support from at least one other additional reference. Self-nominations will also need to include two references. These references may be contacted by the Secretariat on behalf of the awards jury, during the review process to seek clarification and other necessary auxiliary information related to the nomination. 
• Nominations for GEO Awards are not automatically renewed for the subsequent year. Nominees who do not get selected can be re-nominated in the next year.
• To increase diversity in the group of GEO awardees, we encourage sponsors to consider gender, geographical and generational representation when nominating candidates for the Emerging Leader Award.
• Nominations must be submitted electronically to awards@geosec.org and must include the following documents to be eligible: 1. Completed Nomination Form and 2. Full CV of the nominee (only applicable for Emerging Leader Award).