Awards

Innovation Award for Students

Are you a student looking to fund your innovative research in Cryospheric Science? Consider participating in the Flash Freeze competition at this year's Annual Meeting!

The AGU Cryosphere Section Executive Committee is now accepting applications for the Cryosphere Innovation Award for Students. Winners will be decided in the Flash Freeze competition during the Annual Meeting (Wednesday December 11, 2024 at 12:30 pm EST). Format will include both in-person and remote participation. The award is open to all undergraduate or graduate students attending the 2024 Annual Meeting and is given to support and recognize innovative student-led research in the Cryospheric Sciences.

Students wishing to participate in this year's competition are required to submit a letter of intent (not to exceed one (1) page) and a CV (not to exceed two (2) pages) to Dr. Shujie Wang, Flash Freeze Committee co-chair, via email at skw5660@psu.edu by November 1, 2024 at 11 PM US eastern time.

Approximately twenty (20) applicants will be selected for participation in the Flash Freeze competition and will be notified by November 8, 2024. During the competition, the student will give a two-minute pitch of their innovative idea to a panel of judges. Slides or props may be used but the pitch cannot exceed the two-minute allowance. This year it is expected that up to 3 awards will be awarded ($2,000 first prize and two $1,500 prizes, amounts subject to change) to the student winners from the Flash Freeze event to pursue their innovative research.

Further specific details are listed below, and we look forward to seeing exciting and innovative student-led ideas at this year's event.

Award Goal & Scope

The Innovation Award for Cryospheric Sciences is granted once a year to students within the Cryosphere Section showing great potential and innovative work within the field. This award is designed to provide the student with resources, in the form of a mini-grant, to advance their innovation. Innovative projects may include, but are not limited to, instrument design, model adaptation, field techniques, studies in new geographic regions, studies involving new collaborations including inter-and trans-disciplinary partners, science communication and education, and remote sensing methods.

Eligibility

Student nominees must be an AGU member with the Cryosphere Section listed as their primary or secondary affiliation and registered at the AGU Annual Meeting. Student is defined as currently enrolled in an institution at the time of the Annual Meeting. .

Judging Details and Specifics

During the Flash Freeze event each student competitor will present their idea and will give a two-minute pitch of the idea to the Flash Freeze Committee. Props, a poster, or slides can be used during the two-minute oral presentation. Applicants will be judged on their two-minute presentations by the creativity of the proposed innovative work, the feasibility of the proposed work, and the persuasiveness of the presentation. Any material presented beyond the 2-minute period will not be judged. The Cryosphere Section Executive Committee will appoint a Flash Freeze Committee, and the Flash Freeze Committee will use AGU conflicts of interest policy for award selection. The Flash Freeze Committee will convene directly after the Flash Freeze competition and select the winners of the mini-grant associated with the Cryosphere Innovation Award.

Requirements and Deadlines

The application package for the 2024 Cryosphere Innovation Award, consisting of a letter of intent and CV, detailed below, is for the sole purpose of identifying the expected number of applicants and down selecting if needed. Each student will be judged solely on the 2-minute presentation and not on the nomination package.

Each nomination package should include the following and is due to the Flash Freeze Committee by November 1, 2024 at 11 PM US eastern time

- One (1) letter of intent from the Student nominee to participate in the Cryosphere Innovation Award for Students Competition – preferably on letterhead with the author's signature – including a description from the Student on how the award money will be used to further their innovative research. This letter should demonstrate that the idea is well-thought-out and feasible (not to exceed one (1) page).

- The Student's curriculum vitae (not to exceed two (2) pages)

Selectees for the Flash Freeze event will be notified by November 8, 2024. If selected for the Flash Freeze event the Student will be required to present at the 2024 Annual Meeting on Wednesday December 11, 2024 at 12:30 pm EST:

- One (1) two-minute oral presentation on their proposed innovative research.

Props, a poster, or slides can be used during the two-minute oral presentation. Applicants will be judged on their 2-minute presentations by the creativity of the proposed innovative work, the feasibility of the proposed work, and the persuasiveness of the presentation. Any material presented beyond the 2-minute period will not be judged.

2023 Winners

  • Alissa Choi (University of Wisconsin Madison),
  • George Lu (Columbia University)
  • Mohammad Shadab (University of Texas, Austin)

2022 Winners

  • Madison Woodley (Syracuse University),
  • Pawan Singh (Indian Institute of Technology)

2021 Winners

  • Hannah Verboncoeur (Colorado School of Mines),
  • Megan Thompson-Munson (University of Colorado),
  • Thomas Teisberg (Stanford University),
  • Anna Broome (Stanford University), and
  • William Harcourt (University of St Andrews)

2020 Winners

  • Catherine Breen (University of Washington),
  • Raven Mitchell (Michigan State University),
  • Johannes Landmann (ETH Zurich),
  • Zachary Keskinen (Montana State University), and
  • Austin Carter (University of California - Sand Diego)

2019 Winners

  • Ugo Nanni (University of Grenoble),
  • Martin Altenburg (Stanford University),
  • Laura Halbach (Aarhus University),
  • Julia Stuart (Northern Arizona University), and
  • Richard Barnes (University of California, Berkeley)

2018 Winners

  • Caroline Aubry-Wake (University of Saskatchewan),
  • Tom Hudson (University of Cambridge),
  • Mickey MacKie (Stanford University),
  • Emma Kahle (University of Washington), and
  • Kelly Kochanski (University of Colorado Boulder)

2017 Winners

  • Lukas Preiswerk,
  • Emma Menio,
  • Yiyi Huang,
  • Rohi Muthyala, and
  • Sean Peters

2016 Winners

  • Mike MacFerrin,
  • Sasha Leidman,
  • Jim Coll,
  • Jakob Steiner,
  • Denis Felikson, and
  • Chris Marsh

2015 Winners

  • Camilo Rada,
  • Aleah Sommers,
  • Mathieu Casado,
  • Nikolas Aksamit,
  • Mia Bennett, and
  • Phillip Harder

2022 Winners

  • Madison Woodley (Syracuse University),
  • Pawan Singh (Indian Institute of Technology)

2021 Winners

  • Hannah Verboncoeur (Colorado School of Mines),
  • Megan Thompson-Munson (University of Colorado),
  • Thomas Teisberg (Stanford University),
  • Anna Broome (Stanford University), and
  • William Harcourt (University of St Andrews)