Division-Sponsored Awards
The award is named for G. K. Gilbert,
who 100 years ago clearly recognized the importance of a planetary
perspective in solving terrestrial geologic problems. Gilbert
was a master of both planetary and terrestrial geology; many of
his papers bear careful study today.
The G. K. Gilbert Award is usually presented annually for outstanding
contributions to the solution of fundamental problems in planetary
geology in the broadest sense, which includes geochemistry, mineralogy,
petrology, geophysics, geologic mapping, and remote sensing. Such
contributions may consist either of a single outstanding publication
or a series of publications that have had great influence in the
field.
The award consists of an engraved plaque and an appropriate certificate,
which is recommended by the management board of the Division,
and approved by the GSA Council. A person selected by and familiar
with the Recipient's work presents a citation reviewing the contributions
of the Recipient.
The current nomination
deadline for the G. K. Gilbert Award is September 1, 2009. Nominations should be sent directly to the Chair of the Gilbert Selection
Committee. Electronic submissions are preferred.
For additional details regarding this award, please refer to the
Division by-laws. (NOTE: The Division
leadership is in the process of drafting proposed changes to the
by-laws. Please refer questions about this award to the Chair
of the Gilbert Selection Committee.)
Stephen
E. Dwornik Student Research Paper Award
The Dwornik Award was started in 1991 with a generous endowment by Dr. Stephen E. Dwornik, who wished to encourage American students to become involved with NASA and planetary science. The Award consists of a plaque and a $500 check, and is given for the best student presentations (one each for poster and oral) at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) hosted by the Lunar and Planetary Institute and NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Students may submit abstracts for consideration of the award to the annual LPSC. The student must be first author on the abstract, and must be a United States citizen. Along with the abstract, the student must also complete an application form and have it signed by their dissertation or research advisor. The signed form must be mailed to the Lunar and Planetary Institute in time to arrive before the LPSC abstract deadline. (PLEASE NOTE: This is the case even if the associated abstract was submitted electronically.) The form and instructions can be found on the LPSC registration site.
If you have any questions, please contact the Second Vice-Chair of the GSA Planetary Geology Division.
Here is a list of previous
recipients (PDF, 53 Kb) of the Dwornik Award, and where they
were students at the time of their award.
The
Pellas-Ryder Award for the Best Student Paper in Planetary Sciences
Introduction: In 2000, the Meteoritical Society and the Planetary
Geology Division of the Geological Society of America (GSA) jointly
instituted an award entitled "The Planetary Science Best
Student Paper of 20XX". In 2004, both societies agreed to
change the name to "The Pellas-Ryder Award for the Best Student
Paper in Planetary Sciences for 20XX" in honor of two respected
planetary scientists. The Award is now often referred to simply
as "The Pellas-Ryder Award for 20XX."
This award may be granted annually at the discretion the Meteoritical
Society Council and the Officers of the Planetary Geology Division
of the GSA on the recommendation of a Selection Committee of authorities
in the field of Planetary Science. Topics included under this
award are asteroids, comets, craters, interplanetary dust, interstellar
medium, lunar samples, meteors, meteorites, natural satellites,
planets, tektites, origin and history of the solar system.
Eligibility: The Award is limited to undergraduate and graduate students who are first authors of a papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals during a specific calendar year. The first author must have been a registered student at a degree awarding institution at the time the paper was submitted to the publishing journal. Two letters of certification are required: (1) From the student's department head attesting that the individual was a student at the time of paper submission to the publishing journal; (2) From the student's advisor detailing the portion of the work done by the student and contributed by others including the advisor. Planetary science papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals published in English only will be considered for this award. Students of Selection Committee members are not eligible for the Award.
Nomination Process: Papers will be considered for the Award by nomination
to the Selection Committee. Committee members, full members of
the Geological Society of America, full members of the Meteoritical
Society, or full members of any of their associated societies
may make nominations. The nomination may be addressed to the Secretaries
of either the Planetary Geology Division of the GSA or the Meteoritical
Society, who will forward the nominations to the Chair of the
Selection Committee. (Members of the Selection Committee may make
nominations directly to the Chair of the Committee.)
Alternatively, nominations can be made directly to the Chair of
the Selection Committee. Submissions for consideration should
be sent (as PDF documents) by email to:
herbert.v.frey@nasa.gov.
Submissions also may be sent by regular mail to: Herbert V. Frey,
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center,
Code 698 Planetary Geodynamics Lab
Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, MD 20771-0001
Questions or inquiries may be directed to Herbert Frey at: (410) 721-9169
(phone), (301) 614-6522 (fax), or herbert.v.frey@nasa.gov (e-mail).
Time Frame and Schedule: The time frame for this award is the calendar year. The deadline for nominations is January 31 each year. The Selection Committee will review nominated papers published during the previous calendar year, and create a short list by the end of February. Committee members will read the short list and make their rankings in time for the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in mid-March. The Committee will meet at LPSC and settle on their final recommendations. At least one month before the Meteoritical Council gathers at the annual meeting of the Meteoritical Society, the Committee Chair will send a report of the recommendation to the two Societies. Included in the report will be the abstract of the paper and an explanation of why the paper is being recommended for the Award.
Presentation of the Award: The Meteoritical Society provides a check for $500.00 U.S., and sends it directly to the recipient after notifying the recipient that they have been selected to receive the Award. GSA provides the recipient with a framed certificate. If the recipient attends the Annual GSA Meeting in the year of the Award, the certificate is presented there. Otherwise, the GSA ships the certificate to the recipient. A brief citation, written by the Committee Chair and the lead nominator, is published in Meteoritics and Planetary Science and included in the GSA Planetary Geology Division newsletter.