ICIMOD’s ECS award for HKH cryosphere research

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The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) invites self-nomination applications from early career scientists (ECS) for being awarded for their work on/ for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) cryosphere.

This award will recognise outstanding scientific contributions by early-career researchers from the HKH region.

The HKH region holds the world’s largest reserves of frozen water outside the polar regions, thereby forming the source of ten major Asian river systems and sustaining nearly two billion people up and downstream. Advancing cryosphere science in the region, thus, has far-reaching effects for the region’s climate resilience, including its food, water, energy, life and livelihood securities.

Through this award, ICIMOD seeks to integrate the voice of youth into science-led cryosphere policy advocacy by:

• Recognising the excellence of early-career cryosphere scientists from countries in the HKH region, such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan.
• Enhancing the visibility of young researchers within the HKH CryoHub network and global cryosphere initiatives
• Promoting youth-led regional collaboration and scientific innovation

The award will comprise of a certificate of excellence signed by ICIMOD’s Director General and provide travel support to the recipient for attending the felicitation ceremony at the HKH CryoHub Annual Meeting. The recipient will also be an invited speaker at the event.

This award is conferred once every year to the most deserving ECS from the region.

By fostering regional research excellence, the ECS Award aims to support the next generation of cryosphere leaders working at the science–policy–practice interface.

We strongly encourage all early career cryosphere scientists from across the HKH region to apply with their self-nomination.

Application portal will be open from 01 January 2026 to 31 January 2026.

Please see more on the application details below:

Who can apply?

• The applicants must be the national of a country in the HKH region.
• The applicant must hold a PhD degree, with a maximum of seven years of professional experience since the award of their PhD till this application deadline of 31 January 2026.
• The applicant’s research must focus on the HKH region and demonstrate tangible contribution to advancing cryosphere knowledge or applications.
• Collaboration with ICIMOD or HKH CryoHub scientists will be considered provided it is clearly declared to assess conflict of interest; however, ICIMOD staff members are not eligible to apply for this award.

Please submit the online self-nomination form along with a two-page curriculum vitae, a 500-word summary of your research contributions, and two letters of support with full contact details of the referees.

Applications will be accepted only through the designated ICIMOD online portal. Applications sent otherwise, and /or incomplete, and /or made after the submission deadline will not be accepted.