UVM Launches $4,000 Environmental Writing Prize
Now accepting submissions for Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics
The Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont invites submissions for the inaugural Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics, which celebrates outstanding writing on the environmental limits of our finite planet.
The winning author will receive $4,000, plus financial support for a trip to the University of Vermont for a public campus event in Burlington, VT.
The Zencey Prize will recognize the best current affairs book or long-form journalism that addresses real-world environmental issues using the principles of ecological economics, a field that explores the relationships between economics and Earth’s limited natural resources.
To be eligible, submissions must be published in English, in the years 2018 or 2019, and target a general audience.
The prize is named after Eric Zencey, a pioneering scholar and public intellectual who worked to bring ecological economics outside the academy to understand and address the political, economic, social, and environmental challenges facing society.
“I hope this prize will inspire future generations of environmental writers and ecological economists to communicate real-world solutions beyond ‘the Ivory Tower,’” said Eric Zencey (1954-2019), whose life will be celebrated on Sept. 29.
UVM students and scholars will benefit from the Zencey Prize through educational opportunities, seminars, readings, and events.
“The Gund Institute for Environment is a leader in ecological economics, thanks to the efforts of scholars like Eric Zencey,” said Taylor Ricketts, Director, Gund Institute.
“The Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics is an important new prize for the field – and exemplifies Eric’s passion for real-world issues. We thank the Zencey family for their vision and generosity.”
The term “ecological economics” need not appear in submitted works, but the field’s underlying goals – understanding links among ecological, economic and social systems and advancing sustainability, equity, and human well-being – must be evident.
Learn more and submit writing to the Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics.
