The “Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica” is a US$ 100 000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy who has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The Prize is inspired by Martha T. Muse’s passion for Antarctica and is a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007-2008.
The prize-winner can be from any country and work in any field of Antarctic science or policy. The goal is to provide recognition of the important work being done by the individual and to call attention to the significance of understanding Antarctica in a time of change. A website with further details, including the process of nomination, closing date and criteria for selecting the prize recipients, is available at www.museprize.org.
The Prize is awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Nominations for the 2016 award are now open until 11 May 2016.
The inaugural Martha T. Muse Prize was awarded in 2009 to Professor Steven L. Chown, then Director of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University, and now at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia (click here). Steven was the Principal Investigator of the precursor projects to the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa project from 2009 to 2014 and remains a valued Partner of ALSA.
John Cooper, Principal Investigator, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, 28 January 2016