New award to recognise younger researchers

The Vincent Weir Scientific Award aims to reward and encourage research on the conservation biology of bats by young researchers, and to recognize The Hon. Vincent Weir's major contributions to bat conservation over many years.

• The Vincent Weir Scientific Award will be awarded annually to a student at a UK-based institution who has made a significant contribution to the conservation biology of bats.
• The contribution can be made through an outstanding thesis, or a published piece of work that has appeared in the previous year. Any person can only win the award once, and the award may not be given in a given year if none of the submissions is deemed as making a sufficiently significant contribution to the conservation biology of bats.
• The assessment panel will comprise Professor Gareth Jones (University of Bristol and BCT Trustee), Dr Kate Jones (Zoological Society of London and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees), and Dr Karen Haysom (BCT's Director of Conservation). If one of the panel's students is under consideration, they will not participate in the discussion of that candidate and input from a co-opted panel member will be included.
• Decisions will be made in April, and the winner will be invited to attend the BCT conference, where they will be expected to present a talk and collect the award. Costs of their attendance at one day of the conference and travel costs will be covered.

If you would like to nominate a candidate for consideration, please contact Michelle Beckett (MBeckett@bats.org.uk) before 28 February 2010 giving a brief (300 word) justification of your nomination.