We are pleased to announce the opening of applications for the Ohad Yahalomi Memorial Award for Nature Conservation, intended for research students pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees. The award is presented by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), in partnership with the Zoological Society of Israel, and reflects the connection between academic scientific excellence and the practical implementation of nature conservation in Israel. The award will be presented annually at the conference of the Zoological Society of Israel. It aims to recognize and support early-career researchers whose work provides groundbreaking theoretical and applied insights in nature conservation.

The award is presented in memory of the late Ohad Yahalomi, an Israel Nature and Parks Authority staff member who risked his life to defend his family on October 7, 2023, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, and was murdered in captivity. Ohad was a man of the desert and a field expert who combined his love of science and nature with the practical protection of wildlife and open spaces. He was also a co-author of the Field Guide to the Scorpions of Israel. The award is intended to foster excellence and meaningful action in the spirit of Ohad’s dedication to nature conservation in Israel.

Purpose of the Award

To encourage groundbreaking academic research in nature conservation that can be used to improve decision-making and conservation policy in practice. We seek studies that go beyond describing a problem or verifying and examining existing knowledge, and instead reveal new dimensions and/or use creative methods and ideas to advance nature-conservation objectives that can be adopted and implemented as part of INPA’s conservation activities.

Eligible Fields of Research

The scientific committee will consider submissions addressing, among other topics:

• Conservation of endangered species
• Management of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems
• Reduction of human-wildlife conflict in natural, agricultural, and urban areas
• Development of advanced technologies and analytical methods for nature conservation
• Management of invasive and overabundant species
• Improvement of visitor management in nature reserves
• Improvement of spatial connectivity on land and in aquatic habitats
• Development of solutions to reduce the adverse impacts of infrastructure on species and
  ecosystems
• Improvement and refinement of ecosystem-restoration processes
• Effects of pesticides on animals and methods for reducing the associated risks

The Award

• A personal cash award of NIS 5,000.
• A grant of NIS 5,000 toward participation in an international nature-conservation conference.
• Two years of membership in the Zoological Society of Israel, through exemption from registration
  fees for the Society’s annual conference in the award year and the following year.
• A certificate of recognition signed by the award committee.
• Presentation of the research in a special session at the annual conference of the Zoological Society
  of Israel.
• An invitation to present the research as a special guest lecture at an INPA conference.
• Publication of a Hebrew-language version of the research in INPA’s journal HaAdam VeHaTeva
  (Human and Nature).
• Media exposure for the research and the award recipient through the media channels of INPA and
  the Zoological Society of Israel.
• Subject to the practical applicability of the research, the recipient may be offered an opportunity to
  implement the research findings within INPA. During this period, the recipient will receive
  financial support commensurate with the scope of the work.

Application Timeline

For more details regarding the eligibility criteria and the application process