Call for David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism 2026 is open now!!!
Recognizing Excellence in Science News Reporting!
The David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism – News is an annual award recognizing excellence in science news reporting, defined as work prepared with a deadline of one week or less. It is presented annually to a journalist or a group of journalists for a news story or series in any medium, except books, that makes information about the Earth and space sciences accessible and interesting to the general public.
The Perlman Award, first presented in 2000, was named in honor of the distinguished former editor of the San Francisco Chronicle.
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Honor Benefits
- A $5,000 prize
- An engraved award
- Recognition in Eos
- Recognition at AGU’s annual meeting the year the honor is awarded
- Paid travel expenses up to $1,000
- Two tickets to the Honors Banquet at AGU’s annual meeting the year the honor is awarded
- Note: As members of the press, awardees also receive complimentary registration to AGU’s Annual Meeting
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Criteria for a Successful Nomination
The selection committee considers the following:
- News stories or series that:
- bring new information or concepts about AGU sciences to the public’s attention
- identify and correct misconceptions about AGU sciences, or makes them accessible and interesting to general audiences without sacrificing accuracy.
- Accuracy, initiative, and clarity.
- Whether the story was published first, before other media outlets.
- Whether the story contains information of exceptional originality, importance, surprise, or secrecy.
Additionally, the news story or series must:
- be about one or more of the Scientific disciplines represented by AGU
- have been intended for, and available to, the general public
- be in English (or include an English translation).
A series is eligible to be judged as one entry if:
- each segment of a series was identified at the time of publication as being part of the series
- the series includes coverage of an ongoing activity, such as a scientific society meeting or a natural event.
- Note that no more than three segments of any series may be submitted for judging.
Note:
If an individual has multiple works nominated for a single award, AGU staff will contact the nominee to ask which they’d prefer to advance for consideration. Individuals may only submit one work for consideration for an award.
Benefits
- A $5,000 prize
- An engraved award
- Recognition in Eos
- Recognition at AGU’s annual meeting the year the honor is awarded
- Paid travel expenses up to $1,000
- Two tickets to the Honors Banquet at AGU’s annual meeting the year the honor is awarded
- Note: As members of the press, awardees also receive complimentary registration to AGU’s Annual Meeting
Eligibilities
- be a journalist working in any medium, except books
- be an author or contributor of the submitted report
- be a freelance journalist OR employed with a print/electronic publication or broadcast/cable station or network
- submit only one entry for the award in a given year
- not have won the Perlman award during the past two years.
- Groups of up to four authors/contributors may be included in the nomination.
- Self-nominations are accepted.
- Nominees are not required to be AGU members.
Application Process
2. Submissions must include a text-only version (PDF or doc) of the piece with any identifying information or features removed. This includes but is not limited to:
- Nominee name
- Outlet name
- Identifiable fonts (please use Times New Roman, Arial, or other standard font)
- Stylized in-line features, such as drop caps
Please include the piece’s headline as the header in the document.
Submissions with supporting photos where the photographer is also being nominated should include photos and captions at the end of the text, in the same document.
Submissions with supporting graphics where the graphic designer is also being nominated should link and refer to the web version at the top, without revealing the outlet in text. (Ex: “Click here for web version with map and interactive graphic.”)
For a supporting element of a story to be considered, its creator(s) must be nominated. Photos, video, sound, graphics, or other elements will not be considered in judging if their creators are not nominated.
Application Deadline: April 20, 2026 (3 Days Remaining)
Apply nowOfficial link
