Professional and Student awards

You are here: Home > Awards & Grants > Professional & Student Awards

Loye and Alden Miller Research Award

Student Presentation Awards

A. Brazier Howell Award
Frances E. Roberts Award
Board of Directors Student Paper Award

Mewaldt-King Student Research Award

Joseph Grinnell Student Research Award

Katma Award

The newest award offered by the Cooper Ornithological Society is the Katma Award, proposed and sponsored by Dr. Robert W. Storer. This award is intended to encourage the formulation of new ideas that could change the course of thinking about the biology of birds. It will be given to the author(s) of an outstanding paper published in The Condor or Studies in Avian Biology that offers unconventional ideas or innovative approaches, backed by a well-reasoned argument. The Katma Award will be given only when it is merited, no more than once a year. A 3-person Selection Committee will annually review all papers published by the COS in the previous year, but may decide that none deserve the award that year. The award will be approximately $2500 plus a suitable certificate and will be given at the COS annual meeting. In addition, Katma funds may be used for activities that are consistent with the award, such as plenary lectures, symposia, and support of publication. A full explanation of the Katma Award was published in 2003, Volume 105(4):843 of The Condor.

Loye and Alden Miller Research Award

At its 1993 Annual Meeting, the Cooper Ornithological Society initiated the Loye and Alden Miller Research Award, which is given for lifetime achievement in ornithological research. Loye Holment Miller (1874-1970) began his teaching career in 1904 at the Los Angeles State Normal School which later became UCLA, and he retired in 1943. It was only in the last nine years of his active service that the Ph.D. degree was awarded and, in that time, he had two M.A. and two Ph.D. students. Alden Holmer Miller (1906-1965), Loye's son, began his teaching career in 1931 in the Department of Zoology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley. He remained on the faculty until his death 34 years later. Miller sponsored 28 Ph.D. students, 26 of them in avian biology. Among their students, those with a Ph.D. in avian biology total 166. Additionally, there are at least 40 whose Ph.D. topics were non-avian. Use the following links to view their biographies (separate page):

[ BACK TO TOP ]

Harry R. Painton Award

This award is a cash prize of at least $1,000 and is given only in odd-numbered years to the author of an outstanding paper published in the four preceding years in The Condor. At the discretion of the Committee, but with the approval of the Board, no award need be given. Funds for the award come from a bequest from Mr. Painton. By vote of the Board, Society funds may be used to increase the amount of this award.
View previous Harry R. Painton award recipients and download their winning articles here.

[ BACK TO TOP ]

A. Brazier Howell Award

The A. Brazier Howell Award is given for the best paper presented at the Annual Meeting. The candidate must be an amateur, a student, or must have received his/her degree since the last Annual Meeting, and must be the sole author (or senior author, if the paper is co-authored). The recipient must be a member of the Society. This award comes with a cash award, membership in the Cooper Society, and a book on some ornithological topic.

Frances F. Roberts Award

The Frances F. Roberts Award is given for an outstanding paper presented at the Annual Meeting. The candidate must be an amateur, a student, or must have received his/her degree since the last Annual Meeting, and must be the sole author (or senior author, if the paper is co-authored). This award comes with a cash award, membership in the Cooper Society, and a book on some ornithological topic. Mrs. Roberts was a well known bird photographer and prominent member of the COS during the 1940's to1960's.

Board of Directors Awards

Two awards are given annually by the Board to those students who present worthy papers or posters at the Annual Meeting and who do not win either the A. Brazier Howell Award or the Francis F. Roberts Award. The candidate must be an amateur, a student, or must have received his/her degree since the last Annual Meeting, and must be the sole author (or senior author, if the paper is co-authored). These awards come with a cash award, membership in the Cooper Society, and a book on some ornithological topic.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
To compete for student presentation awards, applicants must submit an expanded abstract of their paper or poster (written in English, 1000 words maximum). The expanded abstract should include title, author(s), objective(s), relevant methods, major results and conclusions, and a statement regarding how the research contributes to advancing scientific knowledge. (Note: participants must also submit standard abstracts to the Program Committee Chair to receive a place on the program; see conference website for details). Presentations will be judged on content and delivery, with preference given to applicants in the final phases of completing their research as opposed to those presenting preliminary results. Send expanded abstracts as attached files via email to the chair of the Student Presentation Award Committee (below), including “Student Presentation Competition” in the subject line. 2007 deadline: submit abstract by 15 April to:

Dr. Barbara Kus
USGS Western Ecological Research Center
4165 Spruance Road, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92101
Email: barbara_kus@usgs.gov
619-225-6421 telephone

[ BACK TO TOP ]

Mewaldt-King Student Research Award

The sixteenth annual Mewaldt-King Student Research Awards will be presented by the Cooper Ornithological Society at the 2008 annual meeting. These $1,000 awards are designated in the memory of L. Richard Mewaldt and James R. King to support research that relates to the conservation of birds. Research may be in any area of ornithology, but studies that involve demographics, breeding biology, or disease ecology may be particularly relevant, especially if the species is endangered, threatened, or otherwise of management concern. Studies of species from threatened ecosystems (e.g. old growth forest, wetlands) or with reference to large-scale conservation issues such as climate or landscape change are also of particular interest. View the previous years' Mewaldt-King recipients and titles here.

ELIGIBILITY: Any graduate student (of any nationality) accepted to or enrolled in a Master's or Doctoral program at a university in the U.S. or elsewhere is eligible to apply.

2008 APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications must be received by the Mewaldt-King Award Committee on or before 15 January 2008.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL FORMAT:
1. Cover page bearing the student’s name, academic affiliation, mailing and email addresses, the title of the proposal, and the name and email address of the student’s major faculty advisor.
2. Abstract (≤ 250 words).
3. Introduction, including: (a) relevant background, (b) specific hypotheses to be tested, or questions asked, (c) relevance of proposed research to conservation biology.
4. Proposed methods, analyses, and timetable.
5. General categories of expenditures and total project budget including current and pending sources of support.
6. Literature cited (follow format used by Condor; see http://www.cooper.org/cos/instrucauth.pdf).
7. Curriculum Vitae (CV).

The proposal abstract and text (i.e. items 2-4 above), excluding literature cited, budget, and CV, should not be longer than 6 double-spaced pages with a 12-point font and 1 inch (25 mm) margins. CV should be no more than three pages. The entire proposal: cover page, proposal, budget, lit cited, and CV should be submitted as a single document.

Multiple documents will not be accepted. Proposals that are improperly formatted or exceed page limits will not be reviewed. Applicants will not receive comments from reviewers.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Materials should be submitted as attachments via email directly to the chair of the committee at the address below. Acceptable electronic file formats are Word, Rich Text Format, and pdf files. Files in other formats will not be accepted; note that, by default, MS Word 2007 running under the new Vista OS saves into the unacceptable format '.docx'. Files should be named using the student’s last name and first initial (e.g. SmithC.doc). Please include “Mewaldt-King” in the subject heading of your email. All applications must be accompanied by a letter of support (submitted separately, email encouraged) from the applicant's major faculty advisor.

International students lacking internet access may submit printed copies of their materials by the published deadline and should include a self-addressed envelope to facilitate notification of the committee’s decision. Electronic copies submitted on floppy disks via postal service will not be accepted.

Dr. Paul Nolan, Chair
Mewaldt-King Award Committee
Dept. of Biology
The Citadel
171 Moultrie St.
Charleston, SC 29409 USA
E-mail: mewaldtking@gmail.com

[ BACK TO TOP ]

Joseph Grinnell Student Research Award

The ninth annual Joseph Grinnell Student Research Awards will be presented by the Cooper Ornithological Society at their 2008 meeting in Portland, Oregon. This award supports beginning research efforts of Ph.D. graduate students in their first or second year of enrollment. Up to two $1000 awards are designated, in the memory of Joseph Grinnell, to support basic research in any aspect of avian biology. Projects that deal with conservation issues in avian biology should be directed to the Mewaldt-King Research Awards Committee of the Cooper Ornithological Society. Students may not submit a proposal to both award committees in the same year. View previous years' Joseph Grinnell Award recipients and titles here.

2008 PROPOSAL DEADLINE:   Proposals must be submitted electronically on or before 1 May 2008. Only graduate students originally enrolled in a Doctoral program AFTER August 2006 are eligible for the award. Students lacking internet access may submit printed copies of their materials via mail (see mailing address below) and should include a self-addressed envelope to facilitate notification of the committee's decision. Electronic copies submitted on floppy disks via postal service will NOT be accepted.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION:   To apply for the award, the student should submit one copy of:
I.   A short research proposal (no longer than 1800 words; see format below),
II. His/her most current curriculum vitae, and
III. A letter of support from his/her major faculty advisor. It is encouraged that materials be submitted as attachments via email directly to the chair of the committee (wehtjew@missouri.edu; Walter Wehtje, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO). Acceptable electronic file formats are Word, Rich Text Format, and pdf files. Files in other formats will not be accepted. Files should be named using the student's last name and first initial (e.g, SmithC_proposal.pdf; SmithC_cv.pdf). Please include "Grinnell Award" in the subject heading of the email. The letter of support should be submitted separately by the applicant's major faculty advisor. The letter should address the qualifications of the applicant and the importance of the research project. This letter must also state the academic semester or quarter in which the applicant first entered the Ph.D. program. Otherwise the application will not be considered.

PROPOSAL FORMAT:
1. Abstract
2. Introduction, including: (a) objectives with specific hypotheses to be tested (b) summary of any work completed to date (c) relation to present knowledge (d) significance
3. Proposed methods, analyses, and timetable
4. Literature cited The complete proposal abstract and text, including literature cited, may not be longer than 1800 words (approximately 5 pages, double-spaced).

MAILING ADDRESS:
Walter Wehtje
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
302 ABNR
Columbia, MO 65211-7240
E-mail: wehtjew@missouri.edu

[ BACK TO TOP ]

Student Travel Awards

Undergraduate and graduate students may compete for a travel award to help defray the cost of attending the COS annual meeting. The next annual meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Society will be held 4-9 August 2008 in Portland, Oregon and in conjunction with the American Ornithologists’ Union and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists. Please see the meeting website for further details.

Student Membership Program

See details on our Membership page.

[ BACK TO TOP ]