UNION MEDALS, AWARDS AND PRIZES
Edward A. Flinn III Award
Congratulations to the 2024 UMAP Honorees!
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Career Stage
Middle Career
Experienced
Award Type
Union Award
Of Note
Peer OR self-nomination permitted
Submission Window
17 January - 1 March
Established 1991

Recognizing Unselfish Cooperation in Research

The Edward A. Flinn III Award is given annually to mid-career or senior scientists, either individually or in a small group, who personifies AGU’s motto ‘unselfish cooperation in research’ through their facilitating, coordinating, and implementing activities. This award is for the unsung heroes who provide the ideas, motivation, and labors of love that build and maintain the infrastructure without which our science could not flourish.

Edward A. Flinn III was a geophysicist and mathematician who led efforts to apply digital signal processing techniques and statistical methods to seismology. He helped establish the Flinn-Engdahl seismic and geographical regions to characterize the world's earthquake zones, a system that has become standard across the globe for earthquake regionalization.

Honor Benefits
Recipients receive the following:

  • An engraved Waterford crystal clock
  • Recognition at AGU's annual meeting the year the honor is awarded
  • Two tickets to the Honors Banquet at AGU's annual meeting the year the honor is awarded

Criteria for a Successful Nomination

Nominees are evaluated on the following:
SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE

Nominees must demonstrate the facilitation, coordination, implementation, unselfish cooperation, and the building and maintaining of infrastructure that supports the scientific community.

Infrastructure may include the following: Instruments; satellites; tools; networks; observation platforms; data management, modeling, or data repository infrastructures; organizational structures; research and research support programs; programs that improve the research environment; gatherings, such as working groups, committees, or workshops.

SCIENTIFIC IMPACT

Contributions should be for sustained infrastructure rather than tied to a single event, field campaign, or gathering. A sustained infrastructure supports an ongoing community of scientists or brings together a community of scientists and provides a way to improve, support, or conduct their science for a sustained period of time.

Eligibility

Nominee
The nominee must be a middle-career or experienced scientist, or team of scientists.

Read Career Stage Policy
Nominators
Nominators must be active AGU members.
All Parties
Must be in compliance with AGU's conflict of interest and professional conduct policies.
Read AGU's Ethics Policies