Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award

This award honors extraordinary scientific contributions by an individual or small team. The award is named for Ralph Schreiber, a prominent figure in the American Ornithologists’ Union known for his enthusiasm, energy, and dedication to research and conservation, particularly of seabirds.

Contributions from throughout the world and over any time course are eligible for this award, which consists of consists of a framed certificate and an honorarium. Activities may include: applied research, restoration, and educational actions that conserve birds, or preserve significant bird habitats; scientific examination of the principles of avian conservation and application of new insights into species restoration; and/or scientific evaluation, guidance, creation, and oversight of avian recovery programs or habitat reserve/restoration programs.

Nomination Guidelines

Before submitting a nomination, please review the lists of previous recipients below. In recognition of the large number of ornithologists making outstanding contributions to our science, the AOS Council recommends that the Schreiber Award be conferred upon individuals who have not previously received the award. However, under exceptional circumstances the Council may consider and approve a nomination to confer a second award to an individual, if the new work to be recognized (1) involves a substantially different problem in ornithology than was recognized by the first award and (2) is of significantly greater quality than the work of other eligible ornithologists who have not yet been recognized with the award. An individual nominee for the Schreiber Award must be a member of the AOS at the time of nomination; in the case of a team nomination, at least one member of the team must be a member of the society at the time of their nomination.

Submit a Nomination

To submit a nomination for the Schreiber Award:

1. Login to the Member Portal.
2. Upload a written summary (no more than 2 pages) describing the nominee’s contributions to ornithology and why they should be recognized with the award.
3. Upload a current CV of the nominee.

Previous Recipients