Early Achievement Award

Since 2024, the Swiss Zoological Society (SZS) and the Swiss Journal of Zoology award an annual “Early Achievement Award in Zoology” for an excellent publication in the field of zoology from undergraduate and/or graduate research (MSc, PhD).

The price is endowed with CHF 500.- and will be awarded at the Biology conference.

Who can apply?

PhD or MSc students working at a Swiss research institution in any field related to zoology.
Application documents must be submitted both before the PhD defence of the applicant and before the application deadline (November 1st).
Applicants must hold an active SZS membership at the time of application.

Evaluation criteria

Applicants must have had an active lead role in the submitted research article (being first or shared-first author and/or corresponding author of the publication). The awardee will be determined by a scientific committee of the SZS based on the role of the applicant in the research project, together with the originality and quality of the work. The research should be of relevance to animal biology at the organismal level. Considered fields of research include – but are not restricted to – ecology, evolution, taxonomy, conservation, genetics/genomics, and development. The committee reserves its right not to distribute the prize for any given year.

Application documents

1) Cover letter

2) Applicant's own description of the key findings and the active role in the conception and execution of the work and writing of the publication (maximum 1 page)

3) PDF of publication(s)

4) CV (maximum 2 pages)

These four documents should be sent by the applicant as a single application file (PDF) to marius.roesti[at]unibe.ch.

5) Statement of supervisor and/or corresponding author (if this is not the applicant) on the active involvement of the applicant in the paper(s). The statement should also confirm that the applicant's PhD defense has not yet passed by the time of submitting the documents. The statement must be sent directly to the SZS (marius.roesti[at]unibe.ch).