The Oscar Montelius Foundation (OMF) instituted the Early Career Achievement Prize (ECAP) in 2021. The OMF Trustees will award the Prize annually for an outstanding early career/early professional contribution to archaeological and heritage related work with broader societal impact. To qualify for the Early Career Achievement Prize, the nominee should be
a recent PhD or MA/MS (within five years of the date of submission of
the nomination) or other early career professional (hired within five
years of submission of the nomination).
The awardee/s will be selected by the OMF trustees and the prize will be presented by the OMF Chair each year at the Opening Ceremony of the Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA).
The major evaluation criteria – recommended to be addressed in the application form – are as follows:
- Societal impact
- Innovative impact
- Interdisciplinary impact
- International impact
The Committee will discuss all serious proposals for the Prize. No self-nominations are accepted. Nominations may be made by any of the following:
- Members of the European Association of Archaeologists (all membership categories except for the members of the EAA Executive Board or the EJA Editorial Board)
- Professors and heads of departments of archaeology at European universities and institutes
- Directors of governmental heritage management organisations and agencies in European countries (members of the Council of Europe)
- Non-governmental archaeological, heritage, and professional organisations in European countries.
The 2023 Early Career Achievement Prize will be awarded during the Opening Ceremony of the 29th EAA Annual Meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 30 August 2023. The awarded candidate(s) are expected to attend the Ceremony in person. The prize consists of a diploma and three years' EAA
membership covered by the OMF.