The APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (“ASPIRE”) is an annual award which recognizes young scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to both excellence in scientific research, as evidenced by scholarly publication and cooperation with scientists from other APEC member economies.

The ASPIRE Prize supports APEC’s mission to:

• strengthen international science and technology networks;
• enhance economic growth, trade and investment opportunities in harmony with sustainable development, through policies, innovative R&D and technologies, and knowledge sharing; and
• improve linkages and efficiency between research and innovation.

2014 NOMINATION THEME: “INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION”

Each year the APEC host economy is asked to provide a theme to guide nominations for the ASPIRE Prize to be awarded in their host year. For its host year of 2014 China selects “Intelligent Transportation” as the ASPIRE nominating theme, promoting smart, clean and low-carbon urbanization to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of APEC’s regional connectivity.

Each member economy, through its representative on the APEC Policy Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), is invited to nominate one young scientist under the age of 40 to be considered for the 2014 ASPIRE Prize. Nominees should demonstrate excellence in scientific research, as evidenced by scholarly publication, and cooperation with scientists from other APEC member economies in subjects such as: intelligent transport systems, urban planning, traffic engineering, civil engineering, among others.

ELIGIBILITY

Any citizen of an APEC member economy is eligible to be nominated for the ASPIRE Prize. He/she must be living at the time of his/her nomination and be under the age of 40 as of 31 December of that year (i.e., all 2014 nominees must be under the age of 40 as of 31 December 2014).

SELECTION PROCESS

Each member economy, through its representative on the APEC Policy Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), is invited to nominate one young scientist under the age of 40 by 16 May 2014 to be considered for the 2013 ASPIRE Prize.

Individually qualified applicants are encouraged to complete the “Local Nomination Form” and send it to Mr. Mikiharu Shimizu (miki@apec.org) of the APEC PPSTI by 1 April 2014 so it may be directed toward local economy reviewers.

Once nominations are received PPSTI members rank the nominees through a selection ballot to determine the winner. PPSTI members are asked to judge the nominees based on how well they have demonstrated:

• excellence in scientific research, as evidenced through scholarly publication;
• commitment to cooperation with scientists from other APEC member economies; and
• contribution to the theme selected by that year’s host economy.

The winner will be recognized at an award ceremony during the Fourth APEC PPSTI Meeting in Beijing, China tentatively scheduled 17 September 2014.

ASPIRE PRIZE SPONSORS

Wiley and Elsevier, two of the world’s leading publishers of scholarly scientific knowledge, have committed to funding prize money in the amount of $25,000 USD.

Click here to learn about previous ASPIRE prize winners and more.