Young Researcher of the Year Award

The topics were recommended by the Ambassadors of the award to test your research skills related to current global challenges. The questions posed are just some ideas on the direction your submission can take. Get creative within the scope of the topic and feel free to interpret it! Choose one of the broad topics below for your research project:

The Changing Socio-Political Landscape

In 2011, the world witnessed a massive change in socio-political awareness. Highlighted by the “Arab Spring,” the “Occupy” protests and other grass roots movements around the world, 2011 proved that people on the ground are shifting cultural paradigms and changing the global socio-political landscape forever. Urbanisation, the struggle for gender equality and the growing voice of the youth are being amplified by new and evermore personal communication channels. If these mega-trends are expressions of the increasing involvement of citizens in addressing the socio-political debate, what does this mean for political research and polling? Should research have been more predictive and foreseen these changes? And if not, how can we do so in the future?

The Economy – What's Next?

To say that the last few years have seen economic turmoil is an understatement. Recession after recession, extreme unemployment (specifically amongst the youth) government and personal debt at an all time high, inflation, deflation – the list is seemingly endless.  What does all of this mean for business, society and research? How will it affect the way research is carried out and the way economies and societies operate? Will business be changed irrevocably? How can research contribute to future sustainable economic growth and change? How can research help protect our economic future?

Social/New Media Habits

Humans are social animals, i.e, natural communicators with immense amounts of our brain power  devoted to this unique talent.  The continued rise and evolution of media and specifically social media in the 21^st century is truly making the world a global village. Do we really communicate differently when using different media platforms; mobile phones, tablets, computers etc? How has this impacted our lives and lifestyles? What does it mean for our personal privacy? How is new media used in different segments; 60+, disabled people? What are the implications for education? What is the role of research in this ever changing and developing techno-oriented world?

Each topic above will have selected ambassadors who are known thought leaders in the topic area. They are here to help you, to inspire you and to stimulate debate on each topic. Do you have a question relating to your submission?  Feel free to email Angela (a.canin@esomar.org) who can pass your query onto the ambassadors.

Ambassadors on "The Changing Socio-Political Landscape"

• Jean-Marc Leger, CEO, Leger Marketing Group, Canada
• Dr. Nasir Khan, Executive Chairman, Somra-MBL Limited, Bangladesh
• Kathleen Frankovic, Election and Polling Consultant, CBS news, USA

Ambassadors on "The Economy – What's Next?"

• Preriit Souda, Consultant, TNS Global, India
• Howard Moskowitz, President, Moskowitz Jacobs Inc, USA

Ambassadors on "Social/New Media Habits"

• Rakesh Kumar, Chairman, Global Firefly Board & Head of Firefly - AMAP, Firefly Millward Brown, Africa, Middle East & Asia Pacific
• Dr. Steffen Conn, Operations Director, The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM), UK
• Sean Bruich, Head of Measurement Research, Facebook, USA
• Howard Moskowitz, President, Moskowitz Jacobs Inc, USA

More ambassadors on each topic to follow!

1. Who can enter?

Any researchers born in 1982 or after.

2. Deadline of submission

The submission deadline is 25 May 2012.

3. How will the winner be selected?

The submissions will be reviewed by an international jury of specialists, who will select a shortlist of three finalists to present their submissions at the ESOMAR Congress 2012 in Atlanta. A reserve candidate will also be chosen, in the event that one of the three selected finalists cannot participate. The jury, which will be chaired by the President or Vice President of ESOMAR, will then select a winner from the three finalists. 
If no finalists are judged to attain the requisite standard, the jury shall be free not to award a prize.

4. What happens if you are a finalist?

The 3 short listed finalists will be invited to present their findings in an exclusive session at the ESOMAR Congress 2012.

5. What happens if you win?

The award carries an ESOMAR-sponsored prize of €2500.
The winner will be announced at the ESOMAR Congress 2012. He or she will receive a unique trophy to commemorate this achievement and their

paper will be published on the ESOMAR website. The winner will also receive 2 free registrations for ESOMAR workshops of their choice.

Eligible submissions will be judged on the following criteria:

• Contributes to excellence and best practice in research.
• Is innovative (i.e. breaks new ground). Shows a high level of creativity, fresh thinking and innovation in the approach and conclusion on broad global issues.
• Shows a real understanding of the issues by proving its actual or potential impact on decision making.
• Indicates how, and under what circumstances, the theory (or the findings) may be best applied.
• Focuses on applications across cultures, demographics and countries.
• Values scientific, statistical and analytical methods and techniques to gain insight or support decision making.
• Makes recommendations and provides an "answer" based on the research results. In short it uses a holistic approach to achieve concrete answers to a difficult and topical worldwide challenge.
• In addition, the jury will take into account the extent to which the research is in line with ESOMAR principles.