Article 6. Divisions, Committees, and Task Groups
Committees — The Section will have five permanent standing committees:
The Hydrologic Sciences Award Committee
The award is to be given for an outstanding contribution to the Science of Hydrology. All contributions made over a career can be considered but more weight should be given to the last five years. The contribution may be:
- a single outstanding paper published in any journal;
- a series of papers which, taken together, define an outstanding contribution;
- a service to the science which makes an outstanding contribution e.g., an outstanding meeting leading to a change in the science;
- any other contribution which the nominations committee considers worthy.
Procedure: The Committee will make a recommendation to the Section President as to the Awardee. The Section President with the concurrence of the Executive Subcommittee will have a veto power, and may return any recommendation to the Committee for further consideration.
The Award cannot be given more than once in each calendar year. The Award can be passed over in any calendar year should the Committee or the Executive Subcommittee deem no one is eligible.
Nominations: Nominations for the Award will be accepted from any member of AGU. The nomination procedure and requirements are to be published on the Section’s website. Complete nominations should consist of a nomination letter, the candidate’s two-page curriculum vitae, a list of publications up to two pages long, and up to three letters of support Eligibility: Any member of the scientific community is eligible for the Award. However, no one individual may receive the Award more than once.
Committee Membership: The Committee will consist of five members each of whom will have a tenure of three years. Members will have overlapping terms to provide continuity to the Committee. The Section President, with the approval of the Executive Subcommittee, will select members for the committee.
The Hydrologic Sciences Early Career Award Committee
The award is to be given for an outstanding contribution to the science of Hydrology by an early career scientist. The award recognizes that the awardee’s research, educational, or other accomplishments, or the societal impact of his or her work, are outstanding for a scientist at his or her career stage, and acknowledges that the awardee shows exceptional promise of continued contributions to the hydrological sciences. Up to three awards can be made each year.
Procedure: The Committee will make a recommendation to the Section President as to the Awardee. The Section President with the concurrence of the Executive Subcommittee will have a veto power, and may return any recommendation to the Committee for further consideration. The Section President will notify the awardee of his or her selection.
The Award cannot be given more than once in each calendar year. The Award can be passed over in any calendar year should the Committee or the Executive Subcommittee deem no one is eligible.
Nominations: Nominations for the Award will be accepted from any member of AGU. The nomination procedure and requirements are to be published on the Section’s website. Nominations should consist of a nomination letter, the candidate’s two-page curriculum vitae, a list of publications up to two pages long, and up to three letters of support.
Eligibility: Nominees must be members of AGU and must be within 10 years of receiving their Ph.D. on the first day of the year in which the award is to be made (e.g. on or after 1 January 2005 for the 2015 award.) Parental leave, if provided by the candidate’s institution and taken by the nominee during this 10-year period, can extend the ten-year period. No one individual may receive the Award more than once.
Committee Membership: The Committee will consist of five members each of whom will have a tenure of three years. Members will have overlapping terms to provide continuity to the Committee. The Section President, with the approval of the Executive Subcommittee, will select members for the committee. Committee members will be selected to span a range of career levels, but the majority should be mid-career hydrologists at the time of appointment.
The Horton Student Research Grant Committee
In accordance with the terms of the late Robert E. Horton’s bequest to the AGU, the Horton Fund is to be used for the furtherance of hydrologic science. The Committee will evaluate proposals and make recommendations to the Section President relative to expenditures from the income of the Horton Fund. Policy on types of grants shall be authorized by the Executive Committee. The Committee has been authorized by the Section Executive Committee to seek and evaluate proposals for small grants to support research by graduate students in hydrology and water resources.
The Section President and the Executive Subcommittee will, if they concur with the Committee recommendations, see that the awards are prepared by the AGU staff and publicized in Eos.
The Chair at the Committee shall schedule and coordinate the business of the Committee with the AGU staff and the President of the Section so that the selection of the awardee can be finalized at least four weeks prior to the AGU Meeting where the awards will be presented.
Eligibility: Any student member of the AGU is eligible to receive a Horton Grant for aid in hydrologic research. The proposal must be submitted before the end of their 3rd year of PhD study
Committee Membership: The Committee shall consist of five members each of whom shall have a tenure of three years. Members will have overlapping terms to provide continuity to the Committee. The Section President, with the approval of the Executive Subcommittee, will select members for the committee.
The Fellows Nominating Committee
The Committee shall consist of the President-Elect of the Section (Chair), and six members with terms of three years. All are to be appointed by the President of the Section, with approval of the Executive Subcommittee. Preference shall be given to current Fellows.
The Fellows Nominating Committee is to select annually the permissible number of AGU members who, “for acknowledged eminence in some branch of geophysics,” shall be the nominees of the Section to the AGU Committee on Fellows. The names of these nominees shall be kept confidential.
The Chair of the Committee shall schedule and coordinate the business of the Committee with the Chair of the AGU Committee on Fellows so as not to impede the business of the Union Committee.
The Langbein Lecture Award Committee
The Walter B. Langbein Lecture is a named lecture of the Hydrology Section. It was established in accordance with the guidelines for such lectures, approved by the AGU Executive Committee at its March 12, 1991 meeting. The Lectureship is to be awarded for lifetime contributions to the basic science of hydrology and/or unselfish service promoting cooperation in hydrologic research. Additional considerations may be the candidate’s renown as a lecturer and/or as an educator.
Procedure: The Committee will make its recommendation of its first choice of the Langbein Lecture Awardee and of a runner-up (in case the first choice declines) to the Section President. The Section President with the concurrence of the Executive Subcommittee may accept or return any recommendation to the Committee for further consideration.
The Lecture is to be presented once in each calendar year. The Lecture can be passed over in any year should the Committee or the Executive Subcommittee be unable to find an eligible candidate. The Awardee must consent to present the Lecture. If both the first choice and the runner-up decline, the lecture will be passed over for that year.
Eligibility: Any member of the AGU may be awarded the Langbein Lectureship. No individual may receive the award more than once.
Nominations: Nominations will be accepted from any member of the AGU. The nomination procedure and requirements are to be published on the Section’s website. Complete nominations should consist of a nomination letter, the candidate’s two-page curriculum vitae, a list of publications up to two pages long, and up to three letters of support
Committee Membership: The Committee will consist of five members, each of whom shall have a tenure of three years. Members will have overlapping terms to ensure continuity. The Section President, with the approval of the Executive Subcommittee, will select members for the committee.
The Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture Award
The Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture is a named lecture of the Hydrology Section. The Lectureship is to be awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements by a mid-career scientist (within 10 to 20 years since PhD ) in advancing the field of hydrologic Sciences.
Procedure: The Committee will make its recommendation of its first choice of the Witherspoon Lecture Awardee and of a runner-up (in case the first choice declines) to the Section President. The Section President with the concurrence of the Executive Subcommittee may accept or return any recommendation to the Committee for further consideration.
The Lecture is to be presented once in each calendar year. The Lecture can be passed over in any year should the Committee or the Executive Subcommittee be unable to find an eligible candidate. The Awardee must consent to present the Lecture. If both the first choice and the runner-up decline, the lecture will be passed over for that year.
Eligibility: Any member of the AGU may be awarded the Witherspoon Lectureship. No individual may receive the award more than once.
Nominations: Nominations will be accepted from any member of the AGU. The nomination procedure and requirements are to be published on the Section’s website. Complete nominations should consist of a nomination letter, the candidate’s two-page curriculum vitae, a list of publications up to two pages long, and up to three letters of support
Committee Membership: The Committee will consist of five members, each of whom shall have a tenure of three years. Members will have overlapping terms to ensure continuity. The Section President, with the approval of the Executive Subcommittee, will select members for the committee.
Technical Committees
In addition to the above five Committees, the Section may have other administrative and technical committees. Establishment of committees or discontinuance of existing committees is by action of the Section President, subject to the approval of the Section’s Executive Committee. Each such committee shall have a Chair and a Deputy Chair appointed by the President. Committee membership should be distributed so as to avoid geographical, organizational or other bias. The term of office of all committee chairs shall not extend beyond the term of office of the appointing President, but committee chairs may be reappointed by the incoming President.
Task Groups: Special task groups may be appointed by the President to undertake particular projects of limited duration. The term of appointment normally should not extend beyond that of the President but the term may be extended if necessary to bring the project to completion.
Subcommittees — The Section will have four permanent standing subcommittees:
Liaison Subcommittee
This committee will help with coordination between the Hydrology Section and relevant government agencies and professional organizations. The chair of the subcommittee will serve on the Executive Committee. The chair will rotate each year. The subcommittee will meet at least once per year at an AGU annual meeting. The committee will include liaison representatives from AWRA, CUAHSI, IAHS, NASA, NOAA, NRC, NSF, USGS, and others.
Technical Committee Chairs Subcommittee
This subcommittee will help facilitate meeting planning and science activities that support the section membership. The subcommittee members are the chairs of the Hydrology Section Technical Committees. The Hydrology Section Secretary will chair the committee. The committee will meet at the AGU annual meetings.
Awards Subcommittee
This committee will promote and coordinate the honors and awards activities of the section. The subcommittee will include the chairs of the Fellows Committee, the Hydrology Section Award Committee, the Langbein Lecture Committee, the Early Career Award, the Witherspoon Lecture, the Horton Student Research Grant Committee, the Ad Hoc Nominating Committee, and the Outstanding Student Presentation Award Committee. The Hydrology Section President-Elect, who serves at the chair of the Fellows Committee, will chair the Awards Subcommittee. The subcommittee will meet at least once per year an AGU annual meeting.
Student Subcommittee
This committee will promote and facilitate student and early career involvement in AGU and the Hydrology Section’s activities. The chair of the subcommittee will serve on the Executive Committee. The chair will rotate each year. The members of the subcommittee shall consist of members appointed by the Section President based on nominations from the Technical Committee chairs.