The Einstein Foundation Award
for Promoting Quality in Research

Individual Award

Nominators are requested to fill in a nomination form and submit their own short CV. The following documents are also required:

1. Letter of nomination describing the candidate's work and why he or she should be selected for the award (no more than two (2) A4 pages).
2. Suggested citation: a 50-word summary stating why the nominee should be considered for this award.
3. CV of the nominee or CVs of the team of nominees; each may be no more than two (2) A4 pages long.
4. Short CV of the nominator: no more than one (1) A4 page long.
5. Bibliography: a list of no more than twelve (12) of the nominee's publications that are most relevant for this award. In the case of a team of nominees, please submit lists for each individual. Publications without access restrictions are particularly welcome.
6. Letter of support: email contacts of up to three (3) eminent experts from institutions external to both the nominator's and the nominee’s institution can be provided, who could be contacted for a letter of support. If requested, letters should be no longer than one (1) A4 page. In addition, email contacts of up to two (2) former trainees of the nominee may be submitted. Trainee letters of support should illustrate the nominee’s mentorship and how the nominee impacted the trainee's careers. Each should be no longer than one (1) A4 page. We generally consider trainees to be all persons who have been supported by the nominee in the course of their career. By providing these email contacts, the nominator confirms that he or she has informed the named contacts about this nomination.
7. By nominating, the nominator confirms that he or she has informed the nominee about this nomination and obtained his or her consent. If a nomination procedure is in place, the process will be open to all who wish to nominate candidates; self-nominations will, however, not be accepted. The award can be given to a single person or shared for closely related fundamental contributions. Deceased persons cannot be nominated.

 

Only correctly completed and submitted nominations will be reviewed and eligible for the award.

 

Institutional Award

Applications of Institutions or Organizations

1. Letter of application: a brief description of the institution’s or organization's collective efforts to promote quality in research (no more than two (2) A4 pages). If available, please include outcomes, statistics, testimonials, and other data that exemplify how your efforts have promoted quality in research.
2. Suggested citation: a 50-word summary stating why the institution or organization should be considered for this award.
3. Letter of support: email contacts of up to three (3) eminent experts from institutions external to the applying institution or organization itself can be provided, who could be contacted for a letter of support. If requested,  letters should be no longer than one (1) A4 page.

Nominations of Institutions or Organizations

1. Letter of nomination: a brief description of the institution’s or organization's collective efforts to promote quality in research (no more than two (2) A4 pages), stating why it should be selected for the award. If available, please include outcomes, statistics, testimonials, and other data that exemplify how their efforts have promoted quality in research.
2. Suggested citation: a 50-word summary stating why the institution or organization should be considered for this award.
3. Short CV of the nominator: no more than one (1) A4 page long.
4. Letter of support: mail contacts of up to three (3) eminent experts from institutions external to the nominated institution or organization itself can be provided, who could be contacted for a letter of support. If requested,  letters should be no longer than one (1) A4 page.

If governmental organizations or institutions are the recipients of the award, they will not receive any funds in addition to the award itself. Letters of application should be submitted by the institution’s or organization’s chief academic officer, provost, president, or chancellor. By nominating, the nominator confirms that he or she has informed the nominated organization or institution about the nomination and obtained their consent.

 

Early Career Award

1. Project proposal: a description of the planned project and its anticipated outcome (no more than two (2) A4 pages).
2. Suggested citation: a 50-word summary stating why the application should be considered for this award.
3. CV or CVs of the applicant or team of applicants, each no more than two (2) A4 pages long.
4. Bibliography: list of the five most important publications or a list of up to five major achievements relevant for this application. Publications without access restrictions are particularly welcome. You may also include preprints.
5. Letter of motivation: a brief statement (no longer than one (1) A4 page) on the motivation for this project.

Only correctly completed and submitted applications will be reviewed and eligible for the award.

 

→ For further questions on the categories, please visit our FAQs.

After the nomination or application deadline passes, the award jury, composed of an international group of eminent experts, will begin the selection process. The jury reserves the right to invite external reviewers in individual cases. Jury members sit in a personal capacity.

 

The jury will select a shortlist on the basis of the criteria listed below.

 

The Einstein Foundation's Executive Board approves the shortlist based on publicly available background information, ensuring that the candidates meet the general guidelines for research ethics, and that potential awardees will foster the reputation of the Einstein Foundation and the award, and its ability to credibly promote and represent the science community.

 

For the early career award, projects will be competitively selected for funding and internationally showcased. The laureates will be invited to attend the award ceremony to give a presentation on their achievements and receive their award. Prizes will be awarded for specific achievements or innovative ideas. The decision will be final and not open to appeal. Re-nominations and re-applications are welcome.

 

The following criteria may serve as a basis for the jury’s decision:

 

Criteria for Individuals, Organizations, and Institutions

• Impact – have the candidate’s accomplishments fostered the quality, reliability, and value of research in their field in an outstanding manner?
• Innovation – has the candidate developed and/or implemented quality-improving interventions, governance, and policies, identified opportunities to improve research, or developed innovative approaches to research on research quality?
• Implementation – has the candidate successfully implemented quality-improving interventions, governance, and policies?
• Validity – has the candidate conducted and designed novel tools to prevent misconduct and safeguard validity and reliability in research?
• Diversity – has the candidate significantly developed and/or promoted the diversity of research by taking into view aspects such as gender, race/ethnicity, geography, career stage, etc.?
• Integrity – has the candidate demonstrated exceptional integrity in the face of pressure resulting from difficult circumstances or special interests?
• Originality – does the candidate contribute to the integrity, quality, reliability, and value of research in a novel or unprecedented manner?

 

Criteria for Early Career Researchers

• Innovation – will the proposed project improve the integrity, quality, reliability, and value of research, or improve research on research integrity?
• Validity – will the proposed project help to prevent misconduct and safeguard validity and reliability in research?
• Originality – is the proposed project genuinely novel? Has the applicant evaluated other existing or alternative approaches, or distinguished their approach from existing practices (if applicable)?
• Feasibility – does the applicant or team have the required skills and resources?

Ethical Guidelines

 

The Einstein Foundation aims to foster good research practices where the scientific endeavour is characterized by civil rights, respect and non-discrimination, and adherence to the general guidelines for research ethics which have been adopted by the Kavli Prize. The award of the prize and positions of trust need to be carried out in a way that fosters the reputation of the Einstein Foundation and its ability to credibly promote and represent the science community. All positions of trust involved in the prize are expected to ensure they are fully aware and comply with the general guidelines for research ethics.