Harold C. Urey Prize in Planetary Science

The Harold C. Urey Prize (“Urey Prize”), recognizes and encourages outstanding achievements in planetary science by an early-career scientist.  Criteria for consideration and selection include but are not limited to:

1. Innovative and creative nature of the candidate's work:  The candidates for the Urey prize are poised to change the practice of planetary science through their approach to their research topic. Research activities by prize candidates provide insights or professional applications that influence the state of the art of their area of expertise, and influence how other scientists approach this topic, as evidenced by publications that are widely recognized as being influential (e.g., citations, acceptance at conferences and by the science community).

2. Leadership in the field:  The candidate is engaged in the broader research community and is committed to professional development at a broad level, including holding leadership positions, active in professional societies, and engaged in public outreach and national media, as appropriate for an early researcher.

3. Ethics: The candidate for nomination is expected to follow the AAS Code of Ethics (https://aas.org/policies/ethics) and the nomination letter should include a statement to that effect.

For additional Nomination information, see also here. 

Candidates for the Urey Prize must have held a recognized doctorate for not more than 8 years at the end of the calendar year of the award. In documented special circumstances, the committee may extend this time limitation by a moderate amount to allow for career breaks. It is recommended that the nominator contact the DPS Prize Subcommittee Chair if they plan to request such an extension.

The Urey Prize will consist of a certificate and a citation, accompanied (except for a posthumous recipient) by a cash award, in an amount to be determined by the DPS Committee.

The recipient of the Urey Prize  will be invited to present a lecture on a subject of their choosing. This lecture will normally be given at a DPS meeting, but an alternate venue may be arranged by the recipient and the DPS Committee. The recipient will also be invited to publish a written version of the Urey Prize lecture.

All DPS members are encouraged to submit nominations for the Urey Prize.