The Prize

The prize associated with the medal may vary at the discretion of the current council, but it includes, at a minimum:

• A specially designed medal engraved with the recipient’s name and the year of the award
• An elegantly presented copy of the citation printed under the AWMS letterhead, signed by the current president
• Full coverage of expenses for the recipient’s attendance at the Annual Conference where the award is presented
• An opportunity for the recipient to deliver a keynote address at the Annual Conference on a subject of their choice

Award Criteria

While eligibility for the award extends to any professional whose career has primarily involved deriving or applying scientific information to managed wildlife in Australia and New Zealand, AWMS aims to recognise individuals who have made outstanding and exemplary contributions. Consistently generating a substantial body of scientific information or playing a pivotal role in shaping scientifically-based wildlife management policies aligns with the criteria for this prestigious award.

Process for Making an Award

Members of AWMS can submit nominations for the Graeme Caughley Medal to the AWMS council through the president (president@awms.org.au) at any time. However, only nominations received before the end of June each year will be considered for the award to be presented at that year’s Annual Conference.

Nominations should provide a detailed account of the nominee’s professional career, emphasising their specific contributions to the field and the impact these have had on wildlife management practices in Australia and New Zealand.

Submissions will be assessed by the AWMS awards selection committee.

If a nomination is successful, the nominator(s) will be asked to prepare a concise one-page citation summarising the nomination. This citation will be awarded alongside the medal by the president of AWMS or their representative at the next Annual Conference.

Award Value

The Hands-on Management Award provides AUD$2,500 of value, consisting of:

1. Three years free membership @ AUD$70 per annum
2. Free registration to the conference (including the conference dinner) and a presentation time slot at the conference (up to AUD$690).
3. Travel costs to a maximum of AUD$600
4. A framed certificate from the AWMS to be awarded at the conference dinner, and
5. A AUD$1,000 cash prize

Selection Criteria

To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must be an AWMS member at the time of application (Join Now)
• Any agency, group or individual carrying out a wildlife management project within the Australasian region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua/New Guinea, and neighbouring Pacific islands.
• Must demonstrate excellence in their respective field of wildlife management
• Must be willing to provide updates for AWMS social media and member communications
• Must be willing to attend and present at the AWMS conference in the year of Award

Selection Process

Applicants are required to complete the Practitioner Award Application form, providing a concise summary (up to 200 words each) addressing the following key points:

1. Problem definition: Clearly define the issue at hand, including details such as occurrence frequency, involved parties, and relevant context.
2. Action plan with measurable goals: Present a well-defined action plan that outlines specific goals and objectives.
3. Implementation of the plan: Describe the steps taken to execute the action plan effectively.
4. Monitoring and evaluation: Explain how the action plan was monitored and evaluated, including the methods used and the extent to which the goals were achieved.
5. Process improvements: Highlight any modifications made to the process based on the findings from monitoring and evaluation.

Applicants should also provide the name and contact details of a referee who can verify their achievements.

Selection Committee

The award winners will be decided by the AWMS awards selection committee.

The decision made by the selection committee is final, and no further correspondence regarding the decision will be entertained.

Award Value

The Des Cooper Conservation Award includes the following benefits, with a maximum value of AUD$3,000:

1. Three years of AWMS membership contribution, up to AUD$70 per annum.
2. Free registration for the AWMS conference, including the conference dinner, in the year the award is received, and a time slot at the conference for presenting their research, up to AUD$690.
3. AWMS conference travel costs reimbursement, up to a maximum of AUD$600.
4. A certificate from AWMS to be awarded at the conference dinner.
5. A cash prize of AUD$1500 for use towards project costs.

Selection Criteria

To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Must be an AWMS Member at the time of application (Join Now)
2. Must be a current or former tertiary research student (at Honours, Masters, or PhD level) enrolled in a degree that requires the submission of a research thesis.
3. Must have studied within the field of wildlife management in a university in the Australasian region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua/New Guinea, and neighbouring Pacific islands.
4. The thesis must have been examined, and examiners’ reports received, within the preceding 12 months from the closing date for award applications.
5. Must be willing to provide updates for AWMS social media and member communications.
6. Must be able to deliver a presentation about their thesis research at the AWMS conference in the year the award is given.

Selection Process

Applicants must complete the Des Cooper Conservation Award declaration form and provide the following information:

1. AWMS Des Cooper Conservation Award Supervisor/Head of School report (download).
2. Copies of the examiners’ reports (in the event that reports are not available for an Honours thesis, a brief evaluatory statement by the supervisor will suffice).
3. The Abstract/Summary from the thesis.
4. Information outlining the relevance of the body of work to wildlife management, including:

• Context
• Aims
• Key Results (within the context of methods)
• Conclusions
• Wildlife Management Implications.

Applications will be judged based on the significance of the project to wildlife management, and achievements will be assessed relative to the length of candidature for the degree in which the student was enrolled.

Please ensure all required documents are submitted as one document before starting the online application.

Selection Committee

The award winners will be decided by the AWMS awards selection committee.

The decision made by the selection committee is final, and no further correspondence regarding the decision will be entertained.

Conditions of Entry

In addition to the points mentioned in the selection criteria, the following should be noted:

• All requested documentation must be supplied, and AWMS may verify the examination process with the relevant Head of School or Faculty.
• AWMS reserves the right not to award a prize in any year if the entries do not meet the minimum standard of academic excellence and relevance to wildlife management.