The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) organized the first annual "Outstanding Presentation Awards" at the recent Asian Conference on Permafrost in Lanzhou, China, August 7-9. The awards are planned to be presented annually from now on at the primary permafrost conference of that calendar year. The 2006 awards were sponsored by generous contributions from the International Permafrost Association (IPA), the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) programme, and the International Quaternary Association (INQUA).

The competition drew applications from approximately two dozen young scientists from seven different countries at the Lanzhou conference. A review panel consisting of three eminent permafrost researchers judged each of these competitors based on both the scientific merit and the quality of the presentation. This panel consisted of Prof. Douglas Goering (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, USA), Prof. Hans-Wolfgang Hubberten (Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany), and Prof. Jef Vandenberghe (Department of Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands).

While all of the competitors provided excellent presentations describing their latest research endeavors, three were selected in Lanzhou for the "Outstanding Presentation of 2006" PYRN Awards. Each winner received a certificate and a $200 cash prize. The three award recipients were:

Dmitry Kaverin (Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre - Ural Division, Russian Academy of Science, Russia), for "Local-level processes associated with progressive permafrost thaw as exemplified from CALM grid"

Guoyu Li (State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, CAREERI, CAS, China), for "Heat transfer characteristics of Qinghai-Tibet Railway embankment with crushed-stone side slope in permafrost regions"

Fumiaki Takakai (Laboratory of Soil Sciences, Graduate School
of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Japan), for "CH4 emissions from a Siberian alas ecosystem near Yakutsk, Russia"

PYRN congratulates all three young researchers for their outstanding work! PYRN also extends its sincerest gratitude to the review panel,
the award sponsors, and in particular Dr. Jerry Brown (President, IPA)for their significant and invaluable contribution in recognizing
outstanding work by young scientists.