Category: Competition

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The William T. Pecora Award

Dr. William Thomas Pecora. Director of the USGS from 1965-1971 Later served as Under Secretary of the Interior

The William T. Pecora Award is presented annually to individuals and teams using satellite or aerial remote sensing that make outstanding contributions toward understanding the Earth’s surface, educating the next generation of scientists, informing decision makers or
supporting natural or human-induced disaster response. The award is presented for national and international work.
An individual award recognizes achievements in the scientific and technical remote sensing community, as well as contributions leading to successful practical applications of remote sensing. Consideration will be given to sustained career achievements or singular
contributions of major importance to the field of remote sensing.
A group award recognizes a team, a group of individuals, or part of an organization that has made major breakthroughs in remote sensing science or technology or developed an innovative application that has a significant impact on the user community or
national and international policies.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) jointly sponsor the award. It was established in 1974 to honor
the memory of Dr. William T. Pecora, former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey and Under Secretary, Department of the Interior.
Dr. Pecora was a motivating force behind the establishment of a program for civil remote sensing of the Earth from space. His early vision and support helped establish what we know today as the Landsat Satellite Program.

Pecora Award Eligibility

Any individual or group working in the field of remote sensing of the Earth is eligible to
receive the William T. Pecora Award. We accept nominations for public and private sector individuals, teams, organizations, and professional societies. National and international nominations are welcome. Previous nominees not selected as recipients may be re-nominated for future awards.
** Nominations Due May 29, 2026 **

Instructions for preparing a nomination and other information about the award can
be found by scanning the QR code to the right or by visiting the Pecora Award
webpages: William T. Pecora Awards | U.S. Geological Survey

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Learn Earth Observation! Lesson development competition for Bilko

The European Space Agency (ESA) funded LearnEO! project (http://www.learn-eo.org/) has launched a lesson writing competition. With prizes of €5000, €3000 and €2000 we’re looking for the best remote sensing lessons from individuals or teams.

Lessons will provide examples of how satellite data from ESA missions can contribute to better understanding of the world we live in and the challenges we face.

Register to participate in the competition at http://www.learn-eo.org/compreg.php. This will give you access to resources and support for participating lesson authors and allows us to send you updates.

WHO CAN TAKE PART?

Anyone who uses satellite data can participate as an individual or as part of a team. Teams must nominate a first author to act on their behalf.  First authors must be over 18 on 1 January 2014.

WHAT TOPICS ARE INCLUDED?

Any application of Earth Observation is a potential lesson topic. For example

* in archaeological research or to support the management/monitoring of cultural heritage sites;

* as a management tool for reducing risks or impacts from natural or man-made hazards;

* to support the monitoring and management of terrestrial, coastal or marine ecosystems and sustainable use of living resources;

* in monitoring or research to support climate change adaptation or the management of mitigation schemes.

Geophysical, environmental or social science themes are all welcome – as long as the lesson shows how Earth Observation can contribute.

NEXT STEPS

Find a good case study and think about how to present it.  Who is your target audience? What are the key points you want to make.  What processing steps are involved?

Lessons must follow the LearnEO! format, described in our author guidelines (http://www.learn-eo.org/authors.php).

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

The lessons must include data from ESA missions on their own or in combination with data from other sources (including other satellites, model output or in situ data). Satellite data may be in the original format or pre-processed. Hands-on activities must use the Bilko software.

Detailed rules for the competition may be found in Terms and Conditions of the Competition (http://www.learn-eo.org/comp/LearnEO_Competition_Rules_201309.pdf)

Visit the competition page (http://www.learn-eo.org/competition.php) and register to participate in the competition. This will give you access to resources and support for participating lesson authors and allows us to send you updates.