The Wallenberg Wood Science Center’s Young Researcher Award seeks to honor early career researchers in the field. The award will support a visit for the winner to Stockholm and a keynote speaking role at the WWSC International Conference 2025.
The award is intended to recognize outstanding contributions in the areas of modification, characterization, or innovative applications of wood science resources, including the development of new materials from trees. By celebrating researchers at the earliest career stages, we aim to foster innovation and accelerate future progress in developing sustainable wood-based products and technologies.
This award not only acknowledges the scientific contributions of young scientists but also emphasizes the critical societal importance of their work in advancing the understanding and utilization of renewable resources. Ultimately, the award aims to inspire the next generation of wood scientists to pursue excellence and make meaningful contributions to the future of innovation in our field.
The award is given in conjunction with the WWSC International Conference 2025.
Any questions regarding the award, as well as completed nomination letters in PDF format, should be sent to yra@wwsc.se. Nominations are due by January 13, 2024.
Eligibility for the prize
Eligible nominees are current PhD students and post-doctoral scientists who received their doctoral degrees not more than three years ago. They should be active within fields of research relevant to wood science and wood-based materials, such as those reflected in the program of the WWSC International Conference 2025. They will have demonstrated outstanding contributions to wood science and technology, as well as leadership in their field. This may include student supervision, a strong publication record, academic collaborations, or contributions to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and outreach efforts in wood science.
Awardee Responsibilities
The recipient of the award is required to present a 30-minute scientific talk at the WWSC International Conference, to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, June 15th-18th, 2025. Additionally, the awardee is expected to attend the WWSC conference dinner. Attendance fees for the conference will be waived for the awardee, and the costs of travel and accommodation will also be covered by the conference organizers.
Nomination procedure
Please note that it is not possible to nominate yourself for this prize. A senior researcher should take the responsibility for nominating a junior colleague for the award. The nominator does not need to be affiliated to the same institute as the candidate.
To nominate someone for consideration for the award, submit a nomination letter that includes the nominee’s affiliation and contact details and provides evidence illustrating the nominee’s promise, creativity, and productivity. The letter should be no longer than two pages and should detail the extent and impact of the candidate’s work, supported by examples from their CV, and describing specific achievements of note. These could for example be outstanding publications or patents where the young researcher has taken the lead. Achievements relating to outreach, education, and societal impact are also welcome.
The letter should focus on 3-4 specific accomplishments that clearly demonstrate the nominee’s impact and merit, explicitly detailing their contribution. It should articulate what sets this candidate apart from others in terms of their impact on science, the culture of research, and the wood science community.
Selection of Awardee
The recipient of the award will be selected by the WWSC Awards Committee from a pool of nominated candidates. Final approval is given by the Executive Committee of WWSC. The successful nominee will be informed by DATE and will be assisted with planning their travel to Stockholm for the WWSC International Conference.
We recognize that research group sizes, access to infrastructure, and publication practices vary across disciplines, universities and research groups. All nomination packages will be considered with this context in mind.
