Home Awards & Grants Early Professional Awards Ned K. Johnson Early Investigator Award

Ned K. Johnson Early Investigator Award

ned johnson, aos award namesake

The AOS Ned K. Johnson Early Investigator Award recognizes outstanding and promising work by a researcher early in their career in any field of ornithology. It consists of a certificate, $1000 honorarium, and a travel stipend of up to $1000 and gratis registration to attend the annual meeting. Awardees are also invited to give a plenary at the annual meeting.

The Ned K. Johnson Early Investigator Award is funded through a gift to the AOS endowment honoring Ned K. Johnson, a lifelong supporter and former AOU President (1996-1998).

Candidates may apply for the award themselves, be nominated by another member(s) of AOS, or be added to the slate of candidates by the Early Professional Awards Committee, which selects the annual awardees. The successful nominee will excel in research and show distinct promise for leadership in ornithology within and beyond North America. In addition, they must:

  • Be a current member of AOS.
  • Have received their doctorate degree within seven years of their nomination. (An extra year of eligibility may be granted for parental leave.)
  • Have not received the award previously.

Submit a Nomination for the Johnson Award

The next nomination cycle for the Johnson Award will open in December 2020.

Nominations must be submitted through our online Member Portal.

  • Clicking “Apply Now” on the page linked above will direct you to a login screen. If you have previously created an account, your Login ID is your email address. After logging in, you will be redirected to the Senior Professional Award nomination page.
  • If you have not previously created an account, click Create Account at the lower left to set up your profile.
  • You can also navigate to the submission page from the Member Portal homepage under “Open Competitions” in the lower right.

To submit a nomination for the Johnson Award, you will need to upload 1) a summary of why the candidate should be considered for the award, and 2) a current CV of the candidate.

Previous Winners

2020   Sara Kaiser & Jennifer Walsh
2019   David Toews
2018   Scott Taylor
2017   Michael Butler
2016   Mary Caswell Stoddard
2015   Kyle Elliott
2014   Alex Jahn
2013   Corey E. Tarwater
2012   James Rivers
2011   Alice Boyle
2010   Dustin R. Rubenstein
2009   Renée A. Duckworth
2008   A. Marm Kilpatrick
2007   Lynn Bloxom Martin II
2006   D. Ryan Norris
2005   Kevin J. McGraw