2025 Young Researcher Award
Introduction
The International Transport Forum at the OECD organises an Annual Summit for Transport Ministers from around the world to meet with researchers, industry leaders and representatives of civil society and examine strategic policy issues facing the sector.
Continuing a long tradition of research on transport issues to inform the policy-making process, the International Transport Forum provides high-level research input to the Annual Summit. To encourage and reward creative reflection and analysis from young researchers, the International Transport Forum will once again present its "Young Researcher Award" in 2025.
The International Transport Forum's Young Researcher Award aims to highlight the importance of transport research for sound transport policy formulation and implementation and to foster closer links between transport policy and research. For 2025, the theme of the International Transport Forum's Summit is Transport Resilience to Global Shocks.
Criteria
The Young Researcher of the Year Award is open to researchers under 35 years of age at the time of closing of applications (Sunday, 2 March 2025 at 23:59 CET) who have undertaken the research presented in the submitted paper in an institution, university or consultancy firm located in a member country of the International Transport Forum. In other words, for candidates to be eligible, their date of birth must be after 2 March 1990. The submitting researcher must be the main author listed on the paper.
The research paper may analyse any aspect related to "Transport Resilience". For example, it may analyse ways in which emerging transport and energy innovations could leverage the resilience of the transport sector. Other topics could look into ways in which authorities could shape cities for accessibility and influence people’s mobility behaviour and consumer patterns for more sustainable, inclusive and healthier transport systems. Papers may also explore the required institutional or regulatory frameworks in the transport sector that can promote environmental sustainability.
The work may be of quantitative or qualitative nature and come from any academic field linked to transport. Additional criteria are methodological rigorousness and relevance to policy-making. The winning paper will propose advances from the current state of knowledge in the transport domain to policy makers.
Papers should not exceed 20 000 words, excluding references and annexes, and should be in English. Papers published in 2024 or 2025, as well as unpublished papers, are welcome. Unpublished papers will be handled strictly confidential and shared only with jury members.
Note that previous winners of the Award are not eligible. The Award intends to raise the profile of different young researchers over time.
Application Process
Candidates for the Award must complete the online form below, including a brief summary of the paper (maximum 200 words).
Applications close Sunday, 2 March 2025 at 23:59 CET.
Submissions for the Young Researcher Award (YRA) are separate from those for other ITF Summit-related activities, including the ITF Summit Research Sessions (SRS). Researchers eligible to the YRA, who submitted an application to the SRS, may apply to the YRA with a paper that is related to their application to the SRS.
Awarding the Prize
Submissions will be examined by an international panel of experts from the transport policy and research sector under the aegis of the International Transport Forum.
A prize of EUR 5 000 will be awarded. The Award winner will be invited to ITF 2025 Summit in Leipzig, Germany, taking place from 21 to 23 May 2025, and will receive the Award from the ITF's Secretary-General. Travel and accommodation will be covered by the ITF.
For further details, please contact:
Andreas KOPF