Message from the President -5-
"Establishment of the Young Scholar Award of the Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ Suzuki Award)"
The Ecological Society of Japan has decided to establish the Young Scholar Award of the Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ Suzuki Award). This decision should have been made by representatives during the general ESJ annual meeting in Otsu in March. As a member of the board of directors, I apologize for the limited discussion prior to meetings, but after discussion at the annual meeting, I became aware of considerable enthusiasm for this award, including from past recipients and selection committee members.
Young people might be aware that some awards bear the names of ‘legendary people’ who are well known for their textbook contributions. Indeed, the ESJ Miyadi and Oshima awards are named after leaders of the Ecological Society of Japan who have donated original funds to support these awards. Unfortunately, funds for these awards decrease every year. While I once thought it possible to continue with these awards only if additional donations were received, I was impressed by the opinions of recipients that we should continue with traditional awards even if funds were exhausted.
The history of the Ecological Society of Japan awards system is not long. Previously some members have expressed strong opinions/warnings about giving (perceived) authority to others in the form of awards. However, compared with other academic societies, the Ecological Society of Japan offers few academic recommendations. We feel that researchers in ecological disciplines should not be disadvantaged, and retain the award system as a means to provide support when competing with other disciplines for academic posts, for example. The ESJ Miyadi award, founded in 1997, provides a gateway for young researchers in their 30s, and the ESJ Oshima award, founded in 2008, signifies the contribution made by long-term field researchers, such as mid-career researchers in their 40s. Recipient award lectures during annual meetings provide entertaining, enlightening and memorable moments during meetings.
Other awards include the Ecological Research Best Paper Award, founded in 2001, and the Poster Award (Annual Meeting Award of the Ecological Society of Japan), founded in 2002, both of which are competed for by students, and expand the presentation skills of our members. The Ecological Society of Japan Award and the Achievement Award have also been established since 2003, and the High-School Poster Award since 2010.
Tragically, Nobuhiko Suzuki passed away in an accident while working. During my tenure at Kyushu University, he came to a seminar at Kyushu University from Nagasaki, and I had the great fortune to meet with him personally. He was an expert on insect ecology, but he was also acutely aware of the importance of interactions between living organisms, including animals and plants, at a time when this subject was just beginning to be recognized. Because he had a hard time when he was young, he always encouraged other young researchers.
We have received donations from the bereaved family, respecting Mr. Suzuki's will, which we use to establish a new award for a generation younger than typical ESJ Miyadi award recipients—that is, for members who have only recently (within 4 years) obtained their PhD degree. The Poster Award also covers these members, but this new award will be awarded by the ESJ Awards Committee, as are the ESJ Miyadi, Oshima, and Ecological Society of Japan awards. For many researchers, their first experience with research is the research that they undertake for their PhD. This award, therefore, will provide young researchers deserved recognition for excellence at this stage of their career, and an indication of the type of research that is of continued importance after obtaining a degree.
Regarding the name of the awards, opinions have been expressed by the Board of Representatives, and in the general meeting held in Otsu. Many members expressed a concern that creating a new award or changing the name of an established award each time a donation was received would not be possible or advisable. By naming this fund after the benefactor’s name, we can respond to the kindness of the bereaved family. According to the will of Dr. Suzuki, the purpose of this fund is to create an award for young researchers, that will be named the “Young Scholar Award of the Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ Suzuki Award).” In the future, should further donations be received, we hope that we can continue to use them for this award.
It is very sad that Dr. Suzuki passed away so young. He no doubt intended to continue researching, educating young students, and driving their research across various disciplines. It must have been very sad for the bereaved family, and for Dr. Suzuki also. Unfortunately, many talented ecologists have lost their lives along the way. I want to honor young researchers for their outstanding research by ESJ Suzuki Award, and at the same time, hope that their lives will similarly be cherished.
As for the ESJ Miyadi and Oshima awards, characteristics of the Young Scholar Award (ESJ Suzuki Award) will be created by the ESJ Awards committee and future recipients. Because it is an award for younger researchers, there may be room for future selection methods. As the President who contributed to the establishment of this award, I hope that ESJ Suzuki Award will evaluate recipient’s PhD dissertation.
Bylaws of the award system do not prevent a researcher from receiving multiple awards, but to date nobody has (e.g., concurrently received the ESJ Miyadi, ESJ Oshima, and Ecological Society of Japan Awards). However, with this new award for younger researchers, future recipients might also be eligible for the ESJ Miyadi award. I look forward to excellent applicants for both awards each year.
To establish a new award, we had to revise Article 29 of the Society's constitution. Normally, this would be done in a general meeting, but in the annual general meeting in Otsu it was agreed to leave this decision to the Board of Representatives. As a result of enthusiastic discussions, we decided to list awards in order of establishment, from the ESJ Miyadi Award, Ecological Society of Japan Award, ESJ Oshima Award, and Young Scholar Award of the Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ Suzuki Award). Without waiting for next year's general meeting, we decided to call for applicants for the Young Scholar Award of the Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ Suzuki Award) with existing donations.
Finally, especially for older researchers who are most likely eligible for the Ecological Society of Japan Award, we request that a list of your publications be included on your websites. Because application for this award is based on nomination made by other members, the ESJ Awards committee must search for candidate achievements, which can (at times) prove time consuming, if not challenging. Please understand that awards are supported by the generous efforts of the ESJ Awards Committee.
Hiroyuki Matsuda
President, Ecological Society of Japan