Statutes for the Gunnerus Sustainability Award

The international Gunnerus Sustainability Award was established by the Royal NorwegianSociety of Sciences and Letters (DKNVS) in 2011, and awarded for the first time in 2012. An agreement of collaboration between DKNVS and NTNU in 2016 decided for the continuation of the prize according to the following statutes:

1. The international Gunnerus Sustainability Award is a collaboration between the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (DKNVS), as the original founder of the prize, and NTNU, represented by NTNU’s strategic research area Sustainability (NTNU Sustainability). This collaboration is specified in a contract dated 22.06.2016. The contract details the financial and administrative responsibilities of DKNVS and NTNU. In all marketing of the award DKNVS and NTNU will appear on equal terms. The Gunnerus Sustainability Science Award will be awarded every two years.

2. The full name of the award is: “The Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science conferred by the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology”. The short name of the award is “The Gunnerus Sustainability Award”. Names in Norwegian: Long: “Gunnerus’ vitenskapelige pris i bærekraft utdelt av Det Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab og Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet”. Short: “Gunnerusprisen i bærekraft”.

3. The award honors outstanding scientific work promoting global sustainable development. The aim is to contribute to the strengthening of research and advancing the achievement of the scientific evidence base within the interdisciplinary Sustainability Science.

4. The award is given to one individual scientist, or, in the case of closely related fundamental scientific contributions, may be shared between two scientists. The award amount is NOK 1 million. In addition, the award winner receives a gold medal and a diploma. The prize is not given post mortem, the exception being if the award winner dies after the announcement and before the award ceremony.

5. A Scientific Committee of five members from the Nordic countries is established to evaluate the nominations. The chair is Norwegian. The Scientific Committee itself may nominate candidates for the prize. The Committee ranks the premier three candidates. The board of DKNVS and an expert group on sustainability from NTNU, appointed by the Rector, thereafter select the award winner in a joint meeting.

6. The first Scientific Committee is appointed by the board of DKNVS and an expert group on sustainability from NTNU for the period 2016–2021.

7. DKNVS and NTNU invite nominations from scientific academies, research institutions, universities and professors to ensure a balanced invitation of natural, social, technological and human sciences. Nominations will only be eligible when submitted by full professors with permanent positions at recognized universities or senior researchers at research institutes. Self-nominations are not accepted.

Statutes revised 12.02.2018.