ECSS offers various awards, some of which take place during the annual congress.

• Young Investigators Award (YIA)
• GSSI Sports Nutrition Award (GSSI)
• European Journal of Sport Science (EJSS) Best Paper award

Young Investigators Award (YIA)

One of the key objectives of the ECSS is the promotion of young scientists and the fostering of state-of-the-art research. For this purpose, the ECSS established the Young Investigators Award (YIA). Since the inauguration of the ECSS and its first annual congress in Nice, France in 1996, the YIA is an integral part of the ECSS annual congress. Young scientists have the opportunity to enter this prestigious competition for scientific excellence, where outstanding scientific work can be presented at the annual congress. A jury consisting of the ECSS Scientific Board and ECSS Scientific Committee grants the awards based upon an oral and mini-oral presentation for the top ten presentations respectively.

Each year the ‘YIA Cocktail Event’ reunites all former YIA winners at the ECSS annual congress–an ECSS-based network, uniting generations of sport scientists. Today, many former YIA winners are still closely connected to the ECSS and even support the ECSS in its boards and committees. The award has functioned for previous YIA winners as the starting point of their scientific career.YIA applications that meet all requirements are welcome online, using the abstract submission process of the upcoming ECSS congress.

There will be generous cash prizes for the YIA 2023 finalists.

Oral presentations

• 1st 4,000 Euro
• 2nd 3,000 Euro
• 3rd 2,000 Euro
• 4th 1,000 Euro
• Equal 5th 500 Euro

Poster  presentations

• 1st 3,000 Euro
• 2nd 2,000 Euro
• 3rd 1,000 Euro
• 4th 500 Euro

Important notice: A YIA award winner cannot be at the same time a GSSI award winner and vice versa.

GSSI Sports Nutrition Award (GSSI)

The Gatorade Sport Science Institute (GSSI) is the Official ECSS Sports Performance Hydration and Nutrition Platinum Partner. With this award, GSSI is promoting young scientists and their research related to sports nutrition and hydration to further advance the development of these scientific fields. Abstracts submitted in these two areas in the oral presentation format may opt in to apply for the GSSI Sports Nutrition Award during the abstract submission process.

ENTRY CRITERIA

• An ECSS membership for 2023 is mandatory by the 15^th February 2023.
• Researchers must currently be enrolled as a Master’s or a PhD student studying sports nutrition and/or hydration or related subject.
• The presented research must be of relevance for these scientific fields.
• The work is original and has not been published, or accepted for publication, at the time of the ECSS abstract submission deadline: 15^th February 2023
• GSSI 2022 Sports Nutrition Award winners are ineligible for the following year's competition
• Employees of GSSI are ineligible to enter the GSSI Sports Nutrition Award
• Research that is directly funded by GSSI is ineligible for entry to the respective award
• A YIA award winner cannot be at the same time a GSSI award winner and vice versa
• Please tick GSSI Sports Nutrition Award on page 2 of the online abstract submission portal.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

• The presentation (oral) has been carefully prepared, using appropriate and high-quality visual means, and is well organised
• Abstract quality:
  • The background and rationale for the study is clearly described
  • The methodology is well described, the statistical analysis appropriate and the data are solid
  • The presenter justifies the conclusions based on the data and the relevant literature
  • There is a clear take-home message at the end
  • The work is advancing current knowledge
• GSSI and ECSS are committed to supporting diversity in sports science and nutrition. The awards will adhere to the guidelines defined by the EU Platform of Diversity Charters

REVIEWERS PANEL

All abstracts will be reviewed by two independent experts in the field to be nominated by the ECSS. A third reviewer will be an expert scientist in the field representing the sponsor.

PROCEDURE

1. Abstracts in the topic of sports nutrition and/or hydration for oral presentation format must be submitted through your ECSS account by 15^th February 2023 and the application for GSSI Sports Nutrition Award has to be ticked during submission process.
2. Among all applications, the top 5 will go to the final round
3. The 5 finalists will present their work during the congress in the oral format in front of the award panel.
4. The panel will need to come to a mutual decision about the winners of the GSSI Sports Nutrition Award.
5. The winners will be awarded during the GSSI Award Ceremony. Attendance is mandatory for finalists.
6. Important notice: An ECSS YIA winner cannot be at the same time a GSSI Sports Nutrition Award winner and vice versa.

PRIZE MONEY

• 1st Place: 3,000 €
• 2nd Place: 1,500 €
• 3rd Place: 500 €

European Journal of Sport Science (EJSS) Best Paper award

Complementing ECSS’s mission to ‘disseminate high quality, innovative science’, this award showcases the most innovative science published in EJSS. The winning paper and all nominated papers are available free to access for a limited time following first announcement of the winner until one month following the ECSS annual congress.

Eligibility for the award

Journal papers published in the calendar year prior to the congress are eligible for the award. For example, in 2022, papers will be considered from Volume 21 (the calendar year 2021).

Process

Associate Editors will nominate papers from their section published in the calendar year. An editorial team will review all nominations and select an overall winner.

Criteria

• Open to all age groups and career levels
• Section Editors will 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.

Timeline

January, Award Opens: Editor-in-Chief contacts Associate Editors for their nominations.
February, Nominations: Editor-in-Chief reviews nominations and selects best paper winner.
March/April, First Announcement: ECSS Office informs winner and invites winner to attend congress.

Award ceremony

In normal circumstances, the EJSS Best Paper Award is officially announced at the ECSS Annual Congress just before the congress closing ceremony and the winner will be called to the stage. A cheque will be handed over by the Editor-in-Chief and ECSS President. 

Prize money

• €1,000 (Euros) in prize money is granted to the winner of the award
• Congress registration fees are waived for the first author of the winning paper

Announcement

The EJSS Best Paper Award will be announced via all ECSS channels, including websites, newsletters and social media.