Green Neuroscience Prize

The BNA has declared a climate emergency and is taking action in response to raise awareness within the neuroscience sector of the urgent need to minimise the negative environmental impact of undertaking research, teaching and practice.

As part of this commitment, a new BNA prize was launched in 2023 to recognise efforts in neuroscience aimed at reducing the environmental impact of research.

What is the Green Neuroscience prize?

The Green Neuroscience prize will be awarded for efforts by neuroscientists to make positive steps to reduce the environmental impact of their own research activities. These can include:

• efforts relating to lowering the carbon footprint within the nominee’s research projects, for example relating to key consumables used in the research (such as computing, liquid helium, laboratory equipment)
• efforts within a nominee’s broader research activities to minimise their carbon footprint, such as maximising lower carbon options for meetings and travel linked to their research. 
• efforts within their broader academic career relating to education and outreach, such as involvement in groups at their institution seeking to respond to the climate emergency, involvement in efforts to reduce an institution’s environmental impact, and efforts to raise awareness of the importance of urgent action responding to the climate emergency.

Who is eligible?

Nominations are invited from any UK-based individual or team (where the lead member is based in the UK). 

Any BNA member can make a nomination for the prize: 

• Must be for work in neuroscience research
• Nominee does not have to be a BNA member
• BNA members can self-nominate, if submitted with a letter of recommendation (the letter would not need to be from a BNA member)
• Team nominees must have one individual in the team identified as the key point of contact.
• There is an expectation that activities for which the nomination relates to are current or ongoing. 
• Nominees cannot be a member of the BNA’s Council, Committee, Credibility Advisory Board, or Green Neuroscience Working Group.

What's included in the prize?

In addition to receiving recognition of their outstanding contribution to Green Neuroscience, the prize winner will receive a £500 grant towards a future activity they organise to advance green neuroscience, and will be invited to talk about their work at a future BNA event. The winner will also have the opportunity to highlight their work within the BNA’s Journal, Brain and Neuroscience Advances.

How to apply

Nominations should be submitted via the online form (open for nominations from 1 Dec 2024). Nominations should include clear reasoning for why the nominee should be recognised for their work on reducing the carbon footprint of neuroscience research (max 4000 characters). The deadline for nominations is 31st January 2025.

Applications which do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be considered by the panel.

Timeline

• 1 December 2024: nominations open
• 31 January 2025: nominations close (23:45 GMT)
• Early February 2025: shortlisted nominations considered by judging panel
• Late Feb 2025: winner notified
• The winner will be announced at BNA2025 in Liverpool, 27th–30th April 2025