1. Recognition with the dean’s letter of appreciation
1.1 A letter of appreciation may be awarded to School employees and others in recognition of sustained and effective service, outstanding achievements, the successful organisation of a School-related event or a significant contribution to the School’s development, or, on the proposal of head of department, to mark a personal milestone.
1.2 A letter of appreciation shall be prepared on the letter of appreciation form in accordance with the university’s Style Guide. A letter of appreciation shall be signed by the Dean.
2. Recognition of research publications
2.1 The aim of the research publications grant is to improve the quality of the School’s research publications, encourage School employees to publish in leading journals in their fields, and increase the visibility and impact of their research.
2.2 The grant is awarded for research publications that meet all the following criteria:
1) the publication must have appeared in a journal ranked in Q1 (the top 25% of journals in its subject category) in Scopus or Web of Science, and
2) the publication’s corresponding author must be employed full-time by the School of Science.
2.3 Grant amount and payment
2.3.1 The grant awarded for each published research paper is EUR 1,000.
2.3.2 To apply for the grant, the corresponding author must submit an application through the Help Center and include a brief summary of the research publication.
2.3.3 Funds for the grants are transferred from the Dean’s Office budget to the departments’ 01 accounts twice a year, in January and August. The amount transferred in August is calculated based on applications submitted between January and June. The amount transferred in January is calculated based on applications submitted between July and December.
2.3.4 The head of department shall arrange for the grant funds to be allocated within the department for use by the publication’s corresponding author (or the author’s research group).
3. Recognising the best popular science media coverage
3.1 Each year, the School holds two competitions to increase its visibility among the wider public and recognise employees who have contributed to this.
3.1.1 Competition for the best popular science publications
3.1.1.1 The competition is held to select the three best popular science publications produced by the School.
3.1.1.2 Authors, heads of research groups and heads of departments may submit publications for consideration. Persons whose primary duties involve marketing for the School/department are not eligible to enter the competition
3.1.1.3 Popular science publications may be submitted to the competition if they meet both of the following criteria:
1) the author is employed full-time by the School of Science, and
2) it is indicated in the publication that the author is associated with the School/department.
3.1.2 Competition for the best media coverage in other formats
3.1.2.1 The competition for the best media coverage is held to select the three best pieces of other media coverage relating to the School.
3.1.2.2 For the purposes of this competition, media coverage means any activity promoting the School’s teaching or research activities that appears in media outside TalTech, such as interviews or television appearances, but excludes popular science publications.
3.1.2.3 Persons featured in or otherwise associated with the media coverage, as well as heads of research groups and departments, may submit a reasoned nomination for the competition. Persons whose primary duties involve marketing for the School/department are not eligible to enter the competition
3.1.2.4 Media coverage may be submitted to the competition if it meets both of the following criteria:
1) the person featured in or associated with the coverage is employed full-time by the School of Science, and
2) it is indicated in the coverage or the nomination that the person is associated with the School/department.
3.2 Competition deadlines and selection of winners
3.2.1 The deadline for submitting the required materials for the media coverage competitions is 1 October.
3.2.2 Only the media coverages published/broadcast in the year the competition is announced or in the preceding year may be submitted for the competition.
3.2.3 A committee comprising the dean, heads of departments, vice-deans and the School’s head of marketing and communications shall select the best media coverage and decide how to allocate the prize fund among the winners.
3.2.4 The winners will be announced at the School’s science conference.
3.3 Grant amount and payment
3.3.1 The total prize fund for the best media coverage is EUR 9,000.
3.3.2 Funds for the prizes are allocated from the Dean’s Office budget to the department’s 01 account.
3.3.3 The head of department shall arrange for the prize funds to be allocated within the department for use by the recipient (or their research group).
4. Recognition of the young scientist of the year
4.1 Each year, the School holds a competition to recognise its outstanding young researchers.
4.2 For the purposes of this competition, a young scientist is a full-time academic employee of the School of Science who received his/her doctoral degree no more than ten years ago. If, after obtaining his/her doctoral degree, an employee takes parental, childcare or maternity leave, or performs military service in the Defence Forces, the ten-year eligibility period shall be extended by the duration of that leave or service.
4.3 The candidate, the supervisor of the candidate’s doctoral thesis, the head of the candidate’s research group or head of department may submit a nomination for the Young Scientist of the Year title, accompanied by a statement explaining why the candidate deserves the award. The candidate’s CV must be available in the public portal of the Estonian Research Information System.
4.4 Competition deadlines and selection of the winner
4.4.1 The deadline for nominations for Young Scientist of the Year title is 1 October.
4.4.2 The Young Scientist of the Year is selected by a committee comprising the dean, the heads of departments and the vice-deans.
4.4.3 The Young Scientist of the Year title shall not be awarded to the same person in two consecutive years.
4.4.4 The Young Scientist of the Year will be announced at the School’s science conference.
4.5 Grant amount and payment
4.5.1 The Young Scientist of the Year will receive a cash prize of EUR 2,000.
4.5.2 The prize will be paid from the Dean’s Office budget.
5. Disputes and matters relating to recognition
Disputes and exceptional matters relating to recognition shall be resolved by the management of the School (the dean, vice-deans, heads of departments and head of the Dean’s Office).