Call for Nominations for MEWE SG Awards: Ardern-Lockett Award 2025, Early and Mid-Career Awards 2025
Call for Nominations is open until 11 February 2025
The IWA Specialist Group on Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering (MEWE) is now calling for nominations for the Ardern-Lockett Award 2025, IWA MEWE Early and Mid Career Awards 2025
Ardern-Lockett Award
The Ardern-Lockett Award recognizes outstanding contributions to research and practice in Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering. The activated sludge process was invented in 1913-1914 by Mr. Edward Ardern, a chemist at the Manchester-Davyhulme wastewater treatment plant, and his co-worker, Mr. William Lockett. Ardern and Lockett understood for the first time the active role of floc formation during the aeration of wastewater, known now as activated sludge. They introduced a recycling of this suspension formed during the aeration period and worked vigorously to scale up the observation. Ardern and Lockett worked under the guidance of Gilbert John Fowler. The group had strong links to the research centre at Lawrence Experiment Station in Massachusetts. Though they studied isolates from the sludge, they found the indigenous bacteria to be more effective.
The award is named after Ardern and Lockett in recognition of the MEWE Specialist Group’s strong link to the Activated Sludge process, and investigations into the microbial population dynamics of these systems but also in recognition of their exemplary ability to link discovery to application.
IWA MEWE Mid Career Researcher Award
The IWA MEWE Mid-Career Award recognises sustained accomplishments of a mid-career professional in the field of MEWE, who is within 15 years after PhD/highest degree at the time of nomination, and who are active not only in the academic environment but also in the industry or (non-)governmental organisations, among other relevant sectors. The nominee must show a track record of original, impactful and innovative scientific ideas that contribute to solve key local and/or global water issues via microbial ecology and water engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated leadership in the field of MEWE, as well as sustained support to the development of young professionals who will implement MEWE concepts in the future. Other desirable qualities include an active engagement with stakeholders beyond academia/research in their work, and key contributions to (inter)national water professional bodies. The nominee should be within 15 years after PhD or other highest awarded degree, excluding career breaks (to be identified in the CV).
IWA MEWE Early Career Researcher Award
The IWA MEWE Early-Career Award recognizes accomplishments of early-career professionals in the field of MEWE, who are within 5 years after PhD/highest degree at the time of nomination, and who are active not only in the academic environment but also in the industry or (non-)governmental organizations, among other relevant sectors. The nominee must have made a notable scientific contribution in the field of MEWE. They must be passionate about pursuing a microbial ecology approach to help solve key local and/or global water issues. They should display leadership competences and potential to act as an early career ambassador for the MEWE Specialist Group and IWA, promoting the field of engineered microbial systems in the water cycle using emerging concepts in microbial ecology and water technologies. The nominee should be within 5 years after PhD or other highest awarded degree, excluding career breaks (to be identified in the CV).
How to apply/how to nominate
To submit your nomination(s) these awards, please complete the online nomination application form(s) below before 11 February 2025:
- Nomination application – Ardern-Lockett Award
- Nomination application – IWA MEWE Mid- Career Researcher Award
- Nomination application – IWA MEWE Early- Career Researcher Award
Complete all fields in the online application(s) and upload all required documents. Incomplete entries will not be accepted or reviewed.
Self-nominations are encouraged and welcomed. Please note, only successful applicants will be contacted.
Nominations for the award must be made by a current IWA member and can only be submitted through the online forms.
A subcommittee of the MEWE Specialist Group Management Committee will review and judge submissions for these three awards. Winners will be announced at the IWA MEWE-11 Conference ‘Managing Microbiomes: From Ecology to Engineering’ to be held in Atlanta Georgia June 2-5, 2025. https://mewe11.ce.gatech.edu/
Winners will be contacted by the end of March 2025.
