Emerging Astrophysicist Award for Outstanding APS Journals Paper
This award was established in 2025 to recognize and celebrate the contributions of early-career researchers to the APS journals within the Astronomy and Astrophysics Topical Group.
Eligible candidates are first or corresponding authors who are principal contributors to nominated papers. Nominations are submitted by the participating journals and external stakeholders, and the recipient is selected by a committee composed of core members of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Topical Group representing each journal and selected members of the astronomy and astrophysics community.
The final selection is determined through a ranked-choice vote. Papers are evaluated on the basis of scientific excellence, originality, clarity of presentation, and impact on the field. One award is issued each year, to be presented at the APS Global Physics Summit (GPS) in March.
Awardees receive
- $2,000 prize money
- Financial support to attend the APS Global Physics Summit
- Speaker slot in a dedicated astronomy and astrophysics session at the APS Global Physics Summit, where the prize will be presented
- Promotion on the journal websites, social media, and e-newsletters
- Notification to their department head or person identified by them
- Digital award badge to indicate status on websites and social media
- Certificate of Acknowledgment
About the Astronomy and Astrophysics Topical Group
The free-to-publish and open access journals listed below have come together to form the Astronomy and Astrophysics Topical Group. It covers a broad range of topics, from nuclear astrophysics to exoplanets and planetary atmospheres.
Broad-scope premier journals:
Topical journals:
Rules and eligibility
Eligible candidates are early-career authors (PhD students and post-docs) who are principal contributors to nominated papers. Nominations can be submitted by the journals of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Topical Group, members and entities of the astronomy and astrophysics community, including authors of nominated papers. Self-nominations are possible.
Establishment and support
This award was established in 2025 to recognize and celebrate the contributions of early-career researchers to the APS journals within the Astronomy and Astrophysics Topical Group. It was first awarded in 2026 to Kushal Lodha for his contribution to the DESI Data Release 2 paper (Phys. Rev. D, 112, 08351 – Published 06 October, 2025).