BAAE Best Student Paper Award 2026

BAAE Best Student Paper Award - for outstanding student publications

(Submissions for the calendar year 2026)

Starting in 2025, the journal Basic and Applied Ecology (BAAE) - the journal of the GfÖ - will present the BAAE Best Student Paper Award for the first time. This prize is awarded annually to an outstanding scientific publication whose first author was enrolled in an MSc or PhD program at the time of submission. The aim is to highlight and promote excellent young research in ecology.

The prize is endowed with EUR 500 and will be officially presented during the award session at the GfÖ Annual Meeting in 2027. The selection will be made by the BAAE Editorial Board in close consultation with the GfÖ Executive Board. The scientific quality, originality, and relevance of the contribution in the field of basic and applied ecology will be evaluated.

Eligibility requirements: All first authors who have published an article in BAAE in 2026 (publication date between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026) and were MSc or PhD students at the time of submission of the article (proof required - any document confirming MSc or PhD student status at the time of article submission) are eligible to apply for the award. All information on the required documents can be found in the submission form below.

Submission deadline: December 31, 2026

Further information on the BAAE journal:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/basic-and-applied-ecology

• >>> Application Form 2026 - Submit Now!

  Dear applicants, please carefully check the full description of the award and eligibility criteria here . If you are interested and eligible to apply, please fill out the form below carefully and ensure all fields are completed before pressing the “Submit Application” button at the end. Alternatively, you may email all required information and documents to: baae.award@gfoe.org

  1. Full name of Applicant

  a) First name *

  b) Last name *

  2. Email Address of Applicant *

  3. University / Institution *

  4. Degree Program at Time of Submission *

  MSc Student PhD Student Postdoc (was a PhD student at time of submission)

  5. Country of Institution *

  6. Title of BAAE Article *

  7. Article Identifier *

  DOI Link to article

  DOI *

  Link to URL *

  8. Publication Date (month/year), must between 01/2026 and 12/2026 *Must be between 01 January 2025 - 31 December 2025

  9. Proof of Student Status at Time of Submission – e.g., any certificate or confirmation as proof for MSc or PhD status during time of article submission (PDF, JPG, PNG) *Accepted documents: Enrollment certificate, transcript, degree certificate, confirmation letter

  Drag & Drop Files Here Browse Files

  10. Short Statement: Why should your paper be awarded? *

  0 (Max. 1000 Characters)

  11. Consent to Data Use for Award Evaluation *

  "I consent to the use of my submitted data by BAAE and the GfÖ for the sole purpose of award evaluation and communication."

  Optional: I agree to be contacted for a short promotional statement if awarded

  Yes, I agree to be contacted for a short interview or statement for promotional purposes if I win the award.

  Submit Application

aktuelle Preisträgerin 2025:

Dr. Hannah Gardein

Wir gratulieren Dr. Hanna Gardein zur Verleihung des BAAE Best Student Paper Award 2025 für ihre herausragende Veröffentlichung „New fungal core microbiome members of the ground nesting bee Andrena vaga: The key to oligolecty?“. Die Studie wurde für ihre Originalität, konzeptionelle Stärke und methodische Stringenz gewürdigt und stellt einen hervorragenden Beitrag sowohl zur Grundlagen- als auch zur angewandten Ökologie dar.

Link zum Artikel: 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2025.04.001