The 2019 prize winners of the WCRP/GCOS International Data Prize were announced at the WCRP 40th Anniversary Symposium in San Francisco on 8 December 2019. There were many exceptional nominations for the prize and the Prize Committees wish to express their appreciation to all nominees, proposers, and seconders for the high-quality of the applications received.
- Dr Phu NGUYEN
- Dr Hamed ASHOURI
Phu Nguyen is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the Center for Hydrometeorology & Remote Sensing (CHRS), Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of California-Irvine, USA. His research is on flood modeling and forecasting, and the development of various global precipitation products observed by satellites.
Hamed Ashouri is the Lead Risk Modeler at Risk Management Solutions (RMS), Inc., Newark, CA, where his research interests include hydrology, climate data records, climatology, climate extremes, remote sensing, precipitation, machine learning, and advanced data analysis He undertook his PhD at the University of California-Irvine and continues to be engaged in refining data products, working with Dr. Phu Nguyen.
The prize includes a certificate and funding for the recipient to present the results of his/her research at a major relevant conference or meeting of his/her choice.
Above: Prize-giving of the WCRP/GCOS International Data Prize at the WCRP 40th Anniversary Symposium in San Francisco. From left: Pavel Kabat (WMO Chief Scientist), Detlef Stammer (Chair, WCRP), Phu Nguyen, Stephen Briggs (Chair, GCOS), Helen Cleugh (Vice-chair, WCRP), Hamed Ashouri.
Call for Nominations
now closed
The development of high-quality, real-world data sets constitutes an on-going need of the climate research, observations, and modelling communities and their joint activities. Key areas in data collection for climate change research still remain under-sampled today, also affecting efforts in climate model calibration, evaluation, and reanalysis.
Recognizing this need for further advancing climate observations and their coordination, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) are seeking nominations for the 2019 edition of the “WCRP/GCOS International Data Prize”. The prize is awarded annually to an early- to mid-career researcher for his or her outstanding contribution to the Earth system science community. The WCRP/GCOS Data Prize may honour achievements in data product generation, data management, data preservation, data monitoring, and other data relevant activities. In particularly successful cases, the establishment of standards or infrastructure for global data repositories may be considered for eligibility. The candidate’s activities shall result in concrete achievements that significantly facilitate community access to well-documented data otherwise not available and follow open-access paradigms to the extent possible.
The prize encompasses a certificate signed by the Chairs of the WCRP Joint Scientific Committee and the GCOS Steering Committee, as well as funding for the recipient to present the results of their research at a major conference or meeting of their choice. The WCRP/GCOS Data Prize was established in 2016 and is since awarded annually in conjunction with the “WCRP/WWRP International Prize for Model Development”, which was first awarded in 2014. Together, these two prizes for notable achievements in model and data development aim to honour, recognize, and foster research activities in their respective fields, as well as stress their mutual interdependence.
Selection Criteria:
Candidates should:
- Be within the first ten years of their career as measured by receipt of a PhD or equivalent highest qualification
- Have made a significant contribution to the provision of climate or Earth system data, preferably with a visible impact on and by studies based on said data
- Have visible achievements within the wider community as demonstrated through publications, editorships, organizing or convening activities, and/or strong engagement in community efforts for data provision, standardization, and utilization
Selection process:
The candidates should be nominated by filling in the 2019 nomination form (.docx, please use this updated 2019 version). This includes a statement from the proposer (preferably a person with a good knowledge of the candidate’s work) as well as from a seconder. These statements should specifically address the above selection criteria. The application should also be supported by: up to 3 papers or technical notes documenting the nature and impact of the data collection that was compiled or to which access was significantly facilitated; evidence of the candidate’s individual contribution; and the candidate’s CV.
Nominations should be sent by email to WCRP (
If no suitable candidate is found, the prize will not be awarded.