BIWAKO PRIZE FOR ECOLOGY

Bylaws of the Biwako Prize for Ecology

(The following content is agreed to by Shiga Prefecture, Japan and the Ecological Society of Japan)

The Biwako Prize for Ecology was established by Shiga Prefecture, Japan in 1991 and was awarded by Shiga Prefecture until the 14^th (2007). The Ecological Society of Japan took over the administration of this award from Shiga Prefecture from the 15^th (2009) to continue to achieve the award’s original mission.
The Biwako Prize for Ecology was awarded every year until the 11^th (2001) and every other year from the 12^th (2003). Starting from the 15^th (2009), the prize shall be awarded every other year (odd-numbered years in the Western calendar) by the Ecological Society of Japan.
The 18^th Biwako Prize for Ecology and subsequent prizes shall be conducted by the Ecological Society of Japan as a general incorporated association, inherited from its predecessor organization.

The research area of the prize includes ecology and related science, and the prize shall be awarded to one or two outstanding researchers under 50 years of age who have made outstanding contributions to the study of aquatic ecology and related fields.
The nominees are individuals living in East and Southeast Asia, including the eastern part of Russia and the western Pacific region but excluding Australia and New Zealand, and must be persons whose academic activities in these regions are highly appreciated. The nominee does not need to be a member of the Ecological Society of Japan.

The Biwako Prize for Ecology shall be managed by the Steering Committee members of the Biwako Prize for Ecology, who are elected by the President of the Ecological Society of Japan (hereafter referred to as the “President”) through meetings by the board members. The Steering Committee shall consist of no more than 10 members, including the President and the person in charge of Shiga Prefecture. The chairperson of the committee will be elected by a mutual vote.
The term of the committee members shall be 2 years, and the re-election of members is not permitted.

The administrative work related to the selection of the awardee shall be conducted by the Ecological Society of Japan.
Shiga Prefecture shall cooperate in the administration of this prize through the following means:
-Dissemination of this prize to citizens of Shiga prefecture through public relations media and prefectural news organizations
-At the request of the President of the Ecological Society of Japan, Shiga Prefectural officers can serve as Steering Committee members
-At the request of the Steering Committee, Shiga Prefectural officers can serve as Selection Committee members
-Selection and construction of the venue for the award ceremony
The department in charge of Shiga Prefecture will be the Environmental Policy Division, Lake Biwa Environment Department.

Nominees of the Biwako Prize for Ecology will be selected by the Selection Committee members (a few persons) selected by the Steering Committee. The Selection Committee members will be selected from the members of the Ecological Society of Japan who are specialists in the fields eligible for the Biwako Prize for Ecology; however, the appointment of non-members is not limited by the number and the specialty of the applicants for this prize. A member of the Selection Committee will be assigned to serve as the Chairperson of the Committee.
The Selection Committee shall be organized each time that an awardee for the prize needs to be selected, and each committee member is limited to one term. Selection Committee members may be added as appropriate based on administrative needs. The re-election of committee members will not be permitted.

The nominees (up to 4) determined by the Selection Committee will be reported to the Steering Committee, which will make the final decision to determine the awardees of the prize.

The Biwako Prize for Ecology will be given by the name of the governor of Shiga Prefecture and the ESJ President, in view of its historicity. The award ceremony will be held at a facility in Shiga Prefecture on or near "Biwako Day", an odd-numbered year in the Western calendar, and this prize (honorable certificate) will be given by the governor of Shiga Prefecture.
The Ecological Society of Japan shall make every effort to maintain the prize’s high standards. When the high standards of the prize are deemed no longer capable of being maintained, Shiga Prefecture and the Ecological Society of Japan may negotiate to abolish the prize.
The only prize awarded to recipients will be the main prize (honorable certificate), and no supplementary prize will be provided.
Awardees shall attend the award ceremony and give presentations that would be understandable to general citizens attending the Prize Lecture.

Revision of these bylaws must be approved by the board members of the Ecological Society of Japan.