Early Career Awards: Recognizing your contribution to the profession

Each of the three Societies offer an Early Career Award, which provides an excellent opportunity to recognize your impact on the crop, agronomic, and soils professions. The annual awards are managed and selected by the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Early Career Members Committee (ECMC), which aims to foster and support the growth of all early career members. The award has a monetary prize of $2,000 and serves as one way to communicate the advancement of our fields through diverse career pathways, talents, and skill sets. Professionals who contribute to crop, agronomic, and soil sciences in unique and impactful ways are especially encouraged to apply. The ECMC would like to break the stereotype that a certain amount of grant funding or publications are required to receive the Early Career Award. Diverse contributions to the field are welcomed, so do not hesitate to apply!

What?

Each Society awards one Early Career Award to an outstanding professional who has graduated with their terminal degree within the last seven years. Each Society’s early career representatives select the awardee. The awardee is determined based on their contribution to either research, extension, teaching, private industry, or a private or professional organization. As a nominee, you can choose the appropriate weighted categories to match your contribution to the profession or job description.

How?

The exact evaluation criteria and nomination instructions vary among the three Societies, so read the instructions carefully. For example, the ASA Early Career Award allows self-nominations. Nonetheless, if you’re interested in applying for any of these awards, don’t be afraid to be an advocate for yourself. Find a strong mentor who will work with you on preparing the application. The nomination letter encourages diverse evidence to support contributions to the field, ranging from scientific advancement, publications, grants, extension activities, art, education curriculum development, mentoring, and leadership activities.

The awards require three letters of recommendation, which can be from a wide variety of individuals such as local collaborating producers, colleagues, supervisors, industry partners, advisory board members, mentees, members of the public impacted by your work, and collaborating organizations. The letters should provide compelling support for one activity or influence you have made in your professional career. Reach out to prospective letter writers, and tailor your CV to match the requested information. Make it easy for your supporters and the reviewers to see all the reasons you would be a deserving recipient of the award.

When?

The nomination process starts on 5 Jan. 2022, the nomination must be initiated by 10 Mar. 2022, and submission is due 17 Mar. 2022. The ECMC will then review nomination packets, and the selected awardees will be announced by early summer. The 2022 awardees will be recognized in Baltimore at the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting during each Society’s breakfast plenary.

This column is brought to you by the Early Career Members Committee (ECMC), which serves members beginning their careers—new professionals and graduate students in agronomy, crop, soil, and environmental sciences. The ECMC consists of members from each of the three Societies who serve three-year terms. Learn more at www.crops.org/membership/early-career.