ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship Rules

Approved by the ECS Board of Directors

Fellowship purpose/scope

The ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship was established in 2014 to support young professors and scholars in green energy technology projects. The fellowship was first awarded in 2015. 

Time period

The fellowship shall be granted every year, and be approved at the ECS biannual spring meeting. The fellowship begins September 1.

Recipient qualifications

To qualify, a candidate must be under 45 years of age and working in Canada, Mexico, Europe, or the United States. The candidate must submit an original research proposal for review by the ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship Subommittee. The proposed research theme must not overlap with other research grants or other funded research projects.

The recipient must be a member in good standing of The Electrochemical Society (ECS). 

Award content

Winners receive a restricted grant of no less than $50,000 to conduct the research outlined in their proposal within one year. Winners also receive a one-year complimentary ECS membership. Recipients are  required to present their research at the ECS fall biannual meeting at the end of their fellowship award year. They are encouraged to publish an open access article in a relevant ECS Journal within 24 months of the end of the research period.

Acceptance

No overhead percentage that may or may not be charged by a particular university or other academic institution is permissible or accepted.

The selected award recipient(s) signs a grant contract with ECS and is required to submit a six-month progress report and final written report after one year of funding. The recipient(s) may be invited semiannually to the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) to present their research progress.

Depending on the research progress and results obtained at the completion of the award period, Toyota may elect to enter into a research agreement with the recipient to continue their work. The recipient is highly encouraged to publish their findings as open access in a relevant ECS journal within 24 months of the end of the research period. A recipient is required to attend the ECS fall biannual meeting that occurs at the end of their fellowship award year to present their research.

Travel assistance

The recipient assumes travel expenses involved in accepting the award.

Recipient selection

Subcommittee

Proposals are reviewed by the ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship Subcommittee, a joint body of ECS and Toyota Research Institute of North America representatives. The committee evaluates all proposals based upon their alignment with Toyota’s current technical needs; the unique, innovative, or unconventional nature of the technical approaches; and the feasibility of the technology to positively impact the field of green energy.

Nominations

Calls for nominations may be sent to all members via electronic communications. Nominations are considered closed at the nomination deadline. The nomination deadline may be extended at the discretion of the chair of the ECS Education Committee.

Materials

Required nomination materials include a completed nomination form. Optional materials include the candidate’s curriculum vitae, publications list, or other pertinent information supporting and strengthening the candidate’s nomination.

 Submit nomination materials electronically.

Selection

The deliberations of the fellowship subcommittee are carried out as its chairman considers appropriate. The subcommittee determines, by the affirmative votes of at least four of its members, whether the list of nominees includes any suitably qualified candidates for the fellowship. The subcommittee selects at least one candidate from those so qualified, also by the affirmative votes of at least four of its members, to recommend to the Education Committee as the fellowship recipient.

On approval by a majority of the Education Committee, the recommendation is forwarded to the subsequent meeting of the ECS Board of Directors for approval. If the fellowship subcommittee determines that no suitably qualified candidate has been nominated, or if a majority of the Education Committee does not approve the fellowship subcommittee’s recommendation, the Board of Directors shall be so informed. If no recommendation is made by the Education Committee, or the Board of Directors does not approve their recommendation, the fellowship for the period under consideration is not granted.

Upon the Board of Directors’ approval of the nominee submitted by the Education Committee, the ECS President informs the intended recipient of this action and determines whether the requirements governing acceptance of the fellowship will be met. If exceptions to the requirements are requested, the President may ask for approval by the ECS Executive Committee.

The fellowship recipient is considered determined upon their agreement to the requirements governing acceptance, or approval of exceptions to them by the Executive Committee. This is announced in a Society publication distributed to all members at the earliest opportunity, and given appropriate publicity elsewhere.

Timeline:

• Call for nominations: spring
• Nominations due: April 30
• Award approved by ECS Education Committee and Board of Directors: fall meeting
• Announcement of recipient: fall/winter
• Start of fellowship: April 1

For further information on any of the awards, please contact ECS  via e-mail: awards@electrochem.org