EESG Awards 2026: Nominations Due January 15, 2026
Tiffany Grobelski
EESG Awards
Every year, the Energy and Environment Specialty Group (EESG) of the AAG distributes awards that recognize excellence within the subdiscipline of energy geographies. We seek to distribute funds with the intent to elevate the subdiscipline, amplify brilliant work, and alter socioecological injustices within our sphere of influence. In support of our Mission, Vision and DEI commitments, we especially welcome and encourage submissions from anyone who identifies as a member of an underrepresented or marginalized group.
The awards we will offer this 2025-2026 annual cycle are the following: 1) Best Student Paper Award ($200); 2) Dissertation Data & Fieldwork Award ($800); 3) Advancing Diversity & Inclusion Award ($200); 4) Powershift Award ($200); 5) Energy Luminary Award. Descriptions below…
Nominate yourself or a colleague!
Best wishes,
Tiffany
1. Best Student Paper Award
Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 15th, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
Submission Portal: Click on this link to input all information and upload supporting materials.
Questions? Contact Ryan Stock (rys...@nmu.edu; Co-Chair) or Tiffany Grobelski (grob...@gustavus.edu; Co-Chair)
Description: In support of our Mission, EESG aims to support and promote excellence in student authored articles related to energy geographies.
Award Amount: $200. The award is presented during the Business Meeting of the EESG at the forthcoming AAG Annual Meeting. You do not need to be present to win but are encouraged to attend.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be members of EESG at the time of receiving the funds.
You must be a graduate student (MS/PhD) at the time of submission
You must submit a BLINDED version of the paper
You must be the lead author. Multi-authored papers are acceptable, but the student must be the lead author of the paper
All engagements (theoretical, conceptual, methodological) with energy geographies' topics are valid
Review Criteria:
Originality & significance of topic
Contribution to literature
Theoretical contribution
Execution (including analysis and clarity of expression)
If you are selected:
You will be asked to present their research at one of the following:
(1) AAG Annual Meeting;
(2) Energy Geography Conference; or
(3) EESG Seminar Series
You will be asked to attend the Annual EESG business meeting, if possible
We will ask for a photo and brief bio and brief description of your work for the EESG website
2. Dissertation Data & Fieldwork Award
Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 15th, 2026 at 11:59pm ET (USA)
Submission Portal: Click on this link to input all information and upload supporting materials.
Questions? Contact Ryan Stock (rys...@nmu.edu; Co-Chair), Tiffany Grobelski (grob...@gustavus.edu; Co-Chair)
Description: In support of our Mission, EESG aims to support energy geographers who are graduate students conducting fieldwork for their research.
Award Amount: $800, all of which is intended to be spent on field work within one year of receiving funds. The award is presented during the Business Meeting of the EESG at the forthcoming AAG Annual Meeting. You do not need to be present to win but are encouraged to attend.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be members of EESG at the time of receiving the funds.
You must be a graduate student (MS/PhD)
You must use funds on fieldwork within one year of receiving funds
If you are selected:
You will be asked to present their research at one of the following:
(1) AAG Annual Meeting;
(2) Energy Geography Conference; or
(3) EESG Seminar Series
You will be asked to attend the Annual EESG business meeting, if possible
We will ask for a photo and brief bio and brief description of your work for the EESG website
3. Advancing Diversity & Inclusion Award
Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 15th, 2026 at 11:59pm ET (USA)
Submission Portal: Click on this link to input all information and upload supporting materials.
Questions? Contact Ryan Stock (rys...@nmu.edu; Co-Chair), Tiffany Grobelski (grob...@gustavus.edu; Co-Chair)
Description: In support of our Mission, EESG aims to advance diversity and inclusion within the subdiscipline of energy geographies. This award seeks to formally recognize those who have made (or are currently making) contributions (broadly defined) to advance diversity and engender inclusivity within a socioecological system, which can also include institutionalizing and/or operationalizing DEI within an institution or community.
Award Amount: $200. The award is presented during the Business Meeting of the EESG at the forthcoming AAG Annual Meeting. You do not need to be present to win but are encouraged to attend.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be members of EESG at the time of receiving the funds.
In the nomination statement, it should be clearly articulated how the nominee has advanced diversity and inclusivity within a specific community, or across the broader subdiscipline.
If you are selected:
You will be asked to present their research at one of the following:
(1) AAG Annual Meeting;
(2) Energy Geography Conference; or
(3) EESG Seminar Series
You will be asked to attend the Annual EESG business meeting, if possible
We will ask for a photo and brief bio and brief description of your work for the EESG website
Nomination Letter:
- The statement should be 200-400 words that describe how you (or the individual nominated) would contribute to the inclusion and increased representation of underrepresented groups within the Energy and Environment Specialty Group and detail your/their (proposed) contributions to energy geographies. Please refer to the Award Criteria above for additional information that can help inform your statement.
- Submit the following documents in one .pdf document: 1) Nomination Letter (200-300 words) that details the diversity and inclusion work; 2) CV or resume.
4. Powershift Award
Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 15th, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
Submission Portal: Click on this link to input all information and upload supporting materials.
Questions? Contact Ryan Stock (rys...@nmu.edu;Co-Chair), Tiffany Grobelski (grob...@gustavus.edu; Co-Chair)
Description: In support of our Mission, EESG aims to support scholars and practitioners who demonstrate a normative commitment to social justice and engage in public scholarship that includes energy or climate-related community-based projects that seek to empower marginalized groups in any geographic location that are disproportionately vulnerable to climate or energy injustices. Ideally, the awardee will engage in emancipatory work that leads to a powershift that equitably transforms a socioecological system.
Award Amount: $200, all of which is intended to be spent to sustain an ongoing project or launch a new project. Once disbursed, funds must be used on the project within one year. The award is presented during the Business Meeting of the EESG at the forthcoming AAG Annual Meeting. You do not need to be present to win but are encouraged to attend.
Eligibility:
You must use funds within one year of receiving award
Applicants to this award must demonstrate prior and ongoing commitment to implementing emancipatory solutions to the targeted problem. Examples of prior and ongoing commitment can include (but not limited to) scholarship, activism, policymaking, advocacy, innovation.
Applicants must demonstrate how their project attempts to alter power relations and structures that (re)produce energy and environmental injustices. Ideally, applicants will understand problems and approach solutions intersectionally and inclusively.
No need to be a member of EESG to receive this award, though it would be pretty awesome and much appreciated if you were.
If you are selected:
You will be asked to present their research at one of the following:
(1) AAG Annual Meeting;
(2) Energy Geography Conference; or
(3) EESG Seminar Series
You will be asked to attend the Annual EESG business meeting, if possible
We will ask for a photo and brief bio and brief description of your work for the EESG website
Nomination Letter
Submit the following documents in one (1) .pdf document: 1) Nomination Letter (200-300 words); 2) Project Description (500-1000 words), as it relates to the mission of the award; 3) CV or resume.
5. Energy Luminary Award
Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 15th, 2026 at 11:59pm ET (USA)
Submission Portal: Click on this link to input all information and upload supporting materials.
Questions? Contact Ryan Stock (rys...@nmu.edu; Co-Chair), Tiffany Grobelski (grob...@gustavus.edu; Co-Chair)
Description: This award aims to recognize scholars and practitioners whose exceptional work has made a substantial influence on the field of energy and environmental geographies. Selected papers are rare studies with potential to redefine fields, chart a new path, or reexamine established truths and practices. Ergo, selected papers are truly awesome and well deserving of recognition!
Eligibility:
Recipients of this award will have authored a paper which was selected for its perceived and measured significance to the larger field of scholarship and/or society, whether through novelty, rigor or impact.
All theoretical, conceptual and methodological contributions will be accepted for consideration.
No need to be a member of EESG to receive this award, though it would be pretty awesome and much appreciated if you were.
If you are selected:
You will be asked to present their research at one of the following:
(1) AAG Annual Meeting;
(2) Energy Geography Conference; or
(3) EESG Seminar Series
You will be asked to attend the Annual EESG business meeting, if possible
We will ask for a photo and brief bio and brief description of your work for the EESG website
Narrative Statement
Please provide a short narrative (300-500 words) supporting why you chose this paper. In the narrative, please describe the paper's originality, the significance of the topic, contribution to energy geographies literature, theoretical engagements, and potential impacts beyond academia.