Best Paper Award

Complementing ECSS’s mission to disseminate high quality, innovative science and its application, this award showcases the most innovative science published in EJSS in one calendar year.

Eligibility for the Award

Journal articles published in Volume 25 (calendar year 2025) will be considered for the EJSS Best Paper Award 2025. The winner will be honoured during the 31st ECSS Annual Congress in Lausanne 2026.

Process

The Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor will shortlist the best papers published in the previous calendar year, following which the Associate Editors will vote for the best papers from the shortlist.

Criteria

Timeline

  • Open to all age groups and career levels.
  • Associate Editors nominate papers for consideration according to the following criteria:
    • Originality: The paper is innovative and constructively engages with new or complex problems.
    • Significance: The paper makes an important contribution to the advancement of knowledge in sport science.
    • Methodological rigour: The paper uses robust and appropriate methods to address the research question.
    • Potential impact: The paper has the potential to alter prevailing theory or practice in sport science.
  • January to February: The Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor create the shortlist of eligible papers. The Associate Editors vote and the EJSS Best Paper Award winner is selected.
  • March: Lead authors are notified. The 1st place award winner is invited to attend the ECSS Annual Congress. All papers are announced via ECSS channels.
  • July: The 1st place award winner is officially presented with the award at the ECSS Annual Congress.

Award Ceremony

The EJSS Best Paper Award is officially announced at the Uniting Excellence in Sport Science Reception during the ECSS Annual Congress by the Editor-in-Chief and ECSS President.

Prize Money

  • €1,000 in prize money is granted to the winner of the award (the lead author).
  • Congress registration fee is waived for the lead author of the winning paper.
 
View the upcoming ECSS Annual Congress here.
In case of any questions, please contact publishing@sport-science.org.