Admin l Monday, March 22, 2021
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs has announced the 2021 U.S ASPIRE competition, calling on citizens of the United States and those of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to forward nomination for the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE).
If selected as the U.S. nominee or runner-ups, the nominee and two runner-ups will be invited to a roundtable in Washington, DC in summer 2020 and receive cash prizes of $3000 (nominee) and $1200 (two runner-ups).
However, if selected as the APEC-wide winner, the winner will receive USD $25,000 in prize money at an award ceremony at a virtual PPSTI meeting in New Zealand notionally in August 2021. Wiley and Elsevier are sponsors of the initiative.
Now in its eleventh year, ASPIRE is an annual award hosted by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Policy Partnership for Science, Technology, and Innovation (PPSTI) that recognizes young scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in scientific research and cross-border collaboration.
Each APEC member economy identifies one nominee for the prize, and the U.S. State Department’s Office of Science and Technology Cooperation, in conjunction with the scientific publishers Wiley and Elsevier, will hold an annual competition to identify the scientist to represent the United States on the APEC stage.
“For 2021, the ASPIRE prize will promote innovative research that advances society through “Diverse Knowledge for a Sustainable Future.” This theme focuses on researcher insights from indigenous and ethnic minority cultures and communities to help inform new frontiers in science, technology, and innovation.
“This may include research that explores interactions between traditional and contemporary approaches to knowledge and science, as well as applications such as better management of natural resources, healthcare, and agricultural systems”, the statement noted.
Nominees should demonstrate a commitment to excellence in scientific research and cooperation with scientists from other APEC member economies in subjects such as: biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, mathematics and other relevant fields.
Each APEC economy may nominate one individual under 40 years of age in its region for the ASPIRE Prize. The nominees will be judged on their excellence in research and cross-border collaboration with peers from other APEC economies.
The deadline for U.S. nominees is May 14, 2021 using this application . Young scientists from the United States who are engaged in research and/or product commercialization in line with the theme noted above are strongly encouraged to put forward applications or nominate their peers.
Completed applications and any questions should be sent to [email protected]. For more information please visit: https://www.apec.org/aspire/aspire2021. More on APEC meetings, events, projects and publications can be found on www.apec.org.
