Ebbe Nielsen Prize

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The Ebbe Nielsen Prize was an international science award made annually between 2002 and 2014 by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), to recognize a researcher who had made substantial contributions to the field of biodiversity informatics. The prize was established in memory of prominent entomologist and biodiversity informatics proponent Ebbe Nielsen, who died of a heart attack in the U.S.A. en route to the 2001 GBIF Governing Board meeting.

Contents

History

The award was created in 2001 to honour the recently deceased Danish-Australian entomologist Ebbe Nielsen, who was a keen proponent of both GBIF and the biodiversity informatics discipline. [1] At the time of its creation, the prize was the only global award for work in biodiversity. [2] Initially set at US$35,000 [3] and later €30,000, the award comprised a cash prize plus an invitation to give a guest lecture to address the annual meeting of the governing body of GBIF in whichever country the meeting was being held for that year. In its 2003 call for submissions, the prize was stated as being "[awarded] annually, to a promising researcher, normally within ten years of their entering the research field of biodiversity informatics. Candidates should be combining biodiversity informatics and biosystematic research in novel and exciting ways ... The primary selection criterion is scientific excellence as evidenced by the nominee’s research and publication record, and in particular, the innovation shown in combining biosystematics and biodiversity informatics research in their field of activity." [3] Over the life of the prize, it was won by researchers from Japan, Germany, Sweden, Argentina, United States (twice), Australia (twice), United Kingdom, Colombia, Canada, Denmark and Portugal. [4]

In 2015, GBIF revamped the award as an incentive competition, now known as the Ebbe Nielsen Challenge. [5]

List of recipients from 2002–2014

The following list of recipients is given on the GBIF web site: [4]

Related Research Articles

Ebbe Schmidt Nielsen was a Danish entomologist influential in systematics and Lepidoptera research, and an early proponent of biodiversity informatics. The journal Invertebrate Systematics was established with significant contributions from Nielsen, and he assisted in the founding of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Nielsen wrote several books, published over eighty scientific papers, and was highly regarded within the scientific community. Following his death, the GBIF organised the Ebbe Nielsen Prize in his memory, awarded annually to promising researchers in the field of biodiversity informatics. The moth Pollanisus nielseni is named after Nielsen.

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The Ebbe Nielsen Challenge is an international science competition conducted annually from 2015 onwards by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), with a set of cash prizes that recognize researcher(s)' submissions in creating software or approaches that successfully address a GBIF-issued challenge in the field of biodiversity informatics. It succeeds the Ebbe Nielsen Prize, which was awarded annually by GBIF between 2002 and 2014. The name of the challenge honours the memory of prominent entomologist and biodiversity informatics proponent Ebbe Nielsen, who died of a heart attack in the U.S.A. en route to the 2001 GBIF Governing Board meeting.

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References

  1. ↑ Kristensen, Niels P. (2001). "Ebbe Schmidt Nielsen 7 June 1950 - 6 March 2001". Nota Lepidopterologica. 24 (3): 3–9.
  2. ↑ "Global Biodiversity Information Facility Annual Report 2001-2002" (PDF).
  3. 1 2 "Ebbe Nielsen Prize". Biologue (28). 2003.
  4. 1 2 "Awards". www.gbif.org.
  5. ↑ "GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge". GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge.
  6. ↑ "OVER SEAS -- February 2002: Coastal Alert". oneocean.org.
  7. ↑ uni-bonn.de: Bonner Bienenforscher gewinnt Ebbe Nielsen Preis (in German)
  8. ↑ "Global Biodiversity Information Facility Annual Report 2004" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "Global Biodiversity Information Facility Annual Report 2005" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "04.19.2006 - Awards". www.berkeley.edu.
  11. ↑ "Australian wins prestigious prize in biodiversity informatics". EurekAlert!.
  12. ↑ Vince Smith (27 November 2008). "Small pieces loosely joined: a unified theory of biodiversity for the…".
  13. ↑ "CIAT, May 2009: CIAT researcher wins international award" (PDF).
  14. ↑ "BOLD leader wins Ebbe Nielsen Prize - iBOL". ibol.org.
  15. ↑ "2011 Ebbe Nielsen Prize winner announced". www.gbif.org.
  16. ↑ "Plant data helps climate models - GBIF award winner". www.gbif.org.
  17. ↑ "Miguel Araújo receives the GIBIF 2013 Ebbe Nielsen Prize". www.maraujolab.com.
  18. ↑ "Think bigger, GBIF award winner urges biologists". www.gbif.org.
  19. ↑ GBIF (30 October 2013). "2013 Ebbe Nielsen Prize Winner presentation during the GBIF Science Symposium" – via Vimeo.
  20. ↑ "GBIF has awarded its 2014 Ebbe Nielsen Prize to Tony Rees". www.marinespecies.org.
  21. ↑ GBIF (26 September 2014). "Tony Rees – 2014 Ebbe Nielsen Prize Presentation" – via Vimeo.
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