International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize
The IMO Prize includes:
- A 14-carat gold medal 57 mm in diameter. It bears on one side the official WMO emblem and on the other side the Latin inscription Pro singulari erga scientiam meteorologicam merito
- A monetary award of 10 000 Swiss francs
- A parchment scroll
Guidelines
Initially, the IMO Prize was granted in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of meteorology. However, when the WMO mandate came to include operational hydrology in 1971, the range of IMO Prize expanded to include hydrology. Today, the IMO Prize covers any other field referred to in Article 2 of the WMO Convention.
Candidates for the IMO prize must be living persons; however, the award may be made posthumously to a candidate who dies between the date of his nomination and that of the awarding of the Prize.
Members of the Executive Council, as electors, are not eligible for the award during their term(s) of office.
Nomination procedure
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Missions of Member State with WMO or Permanent Representatives of Member State/Territory with WMO are invited to nominate candidates for the IMO Prize. The nominations should be communicated to the Secretary-General by email to IMOPrize_nominations@wmo.int, for transmission to the Selection Committee of the Executive Council.
The nomination must include:
- A Nomination Form signed by either the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission or Permanent Representative. Nomination must include name, professional and home mailing address, present professional title and institutional affiliation.
- A precise and factual summary of accomplishments that provides a brief statement (1-2 pages) of the individual's achievements in the fields relevant to the Prize with a focus on the most recent five years, in at least one of the following: (i) advancing weather, climate and water science and/or it application to society; (ii) leadership of the International weather, climate and water community, with a particular emphasis on furthering the purpose of WMO; communicating weather, climate and water science and/or increasing public engagement in the field of weather, climate and water science and its application.. The summary of accomplishments should be in MS Word format, and follow the template.
- The nominee's curriculum vitae or resumé.
- A list of the nominee's publications.
- Two five-minute video presentations by the nominee and the Permanent Representative.
A candidature received after the deadline (one month prior to the opening of the Executive Council session) shall not be considered at that session, but shall be taken into consideration for all subsequent IMO Prizes to be awarded during the current four-year financial period, as will all candidates submitted but not chosen for the award during that financial period.
Find out more: Indication of preference for the designation of acting members of the council and the award of the IMO Prize (PDF)
List of winners
| Prof Timothy Palmer (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) |
| Dr Sue Barrell (Australia)Sue Barrell of Australia honored for outstanding leadership (WMO News) IMO Prize Lecture (Bulletin article) An interview with Sue Barrell, Winner of the IMO Prize (Bulletin article) |
| Professor In-Sik Kang (Republic of Korea)WMO awards IMO prize to Prof. In-Sik Kang (WMO News) IMO Prize Ceremony Lecture (PowerPoint) |
| Mr David Grimes (Canada) |
| Professor Sergej Zilitinkevich (Russian Federation)Sergej Zilitinkevich Memorial Award (see also Sergej Zilitinkevich Memorial Award Established) |
| Dr Antonio Divino Moura (Brazil)Divino Moura of Brazil wins IMO Prize (WMO News) |
| Professor Gordon McBean (Canada)WMO presents top scientific prize to Gordon McBean of Canada (WMO News) |
| Professor Qing-Cun Zeng (People's Republic of China)Interview in Bulletin 64/1, 2015 Career highlights (in Chinese) |
| Professor Dame Julia Slingo DBE (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)The Evolution of Climate Science: A personal view from Julia Slingo (article based on her IMO prize lecture) Toward seamless climate-weather and environmental prediction (video) |
| Dr Alexander Bedritsky (Russian Federation) - President of WMO, 2003-2011 |
| Dr Tillmann Mohr (Germany)Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 54/1, page 27 |
| Dr Zaviša Janjić (Serbia/United States of America) |
| Professor Aksel Wiin-Nielsen (Denmark) |
| Professor Taroh Matsuno (Japan) |
| Professor Eugenia Kalnay (Argentina/United States of America) |
| Mr Qin Dahe (People's Republic of China) |
| Professor Jagadish Shukla (India/United States of America)Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 54/4, page 185 |
| Professor Lennart Bengtsson (Sweden)Tropical cyclones in a warmer climate (IMO prize speech, published in WMO Bulletin Vol 56/3, page 196); Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 53/3, page 191 |
| Dr John W. Zillman (Australia) - President of WMO, 1995-2003The WMO legacy for the 21st century: meteorology as a model for humanity (IMO prize speech, WMO Bulletin Vol 55/3, page 191); The challenges for meteorology in the 21st century (IMO prize speech, WMO Bulletin Vol 54/4, page 224) |
| Dr Bennet Machenhauer (Denmark)Related material: Spectral Methods |
| Dr Ye Duzheng (People's Republic of China) |
| Dr Joanne Simpson (United States of America) |
| Professor M. H. Ganji (Iran, Islamic Republic of) |
| Professor Emeritus Edward Norton Lorenz (United States of America)The nature and theory of the general circulation of the atmosphere - The First IMO Lecture, presented at the Fifth Congress in 1967 |
| Professor James C. I. Dooge (Ireland) |
| Sir John Houghton ( |