Nominations close 15 February 2027. Following this, AMI's internal awards panel will evaluate the nominations and decide on a winner, which will be announced on at the 2027 LAM ECR Symposium. Only members can nominate for this award.
The Basil Jarvis Early Career Excellence Award honours the enduring legacy of Basil Jarvis by recognising outstanding excellence among early career professionals in applied microbiology whose work advances global food security and sustainable innovation.
This award is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). It celebrates professionals, researchers, and innovators whose work has delivered tangible, real-world impact in food safety, food security, and sustainable agri-food systems.
The award recognises applied microbiology that has moved beyond research or pilot stages to improve food production, enhance nutritional outcomes, strengthen food system resilience, and support sustainable industrial processes.
Award benefits
The recipient of the Basil Jarvis Early Career Excellence Award will receive:
- £1,000 in prize money
- A commemorative award recognising their achievement
- The opportunity to present or chair a session at an AMI conference, webinar, roundtable, or similar event
Horizon Awards nomination criteria
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Nominations for the 2027 Horizon Awards close on 15 February 2027.
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Nominees do not need to be AMI members.
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Nominators must hold an active AMI membership at the time of nomination, except for the Dorothy Jones Diversity & Inclusion Award and the Christiana Figueres Policy to Practice Award, for which AMI membership is not required.
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Self-nomination is permitted and encouraged, subject to the membership requirements above. This helps ensure individuals from all parts of the microbiology community have a fair opportunity to be recognised for their achievements.
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The following individuals are not eligible for nomination:
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Trustees of AMI
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AMI staff members
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Members of AMI’s Finance, Audit and Risk Subcommittee
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For each Horizon Award application, nominees will be asked to provide 100–250 words per question.
Applied Microbiology International is committed to recognising excellence across all areas of microbiology. We welcome nominations that reflect the diversity of the microbiology community and particularly encourage nominations from under-represented groups and from individuals with diverse or non-traditional career pathways.
To make a nomination, please use the NOMINATE button on this page.
AMI reserves the right to rescind any prize where there are reasonable grounds to do so. All nominators will be required to confirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the nominee’s professional standing presents no confirmed or potential impediment to receiving the award.
Who should apply:
This award is open to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and early career professionals working in applied microbiology whose research, innovation, or practical work contributes to food security and sustainable innovation, including:
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PhD students and doctoral researchers investigating food microbiology, food safety, preservation, or sustainable agricultural practices.
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Postdoctoral researchers developing innovative microbiological approaches to food security, sustainable food production, and food system resilience.
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Early career research assistants, associates, and scientists working in food microbiology, agricultural microbiology, or related fields.
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Early career professionals in food science and biotechnology applying microbiological solutions to improve food quality, safety, processing, or shelf life.
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Emerging researchers and innovators in sustainable agri-food systems exploring interdisciplinary approaches to addressing food security challenges and advancing sustainable food production.
Together, these contributions demonstrate the critical role of applied microbiology in improving food safety and security, strengthening sustainable food systems, and advancing innovation across agriculture and industry. The Basil Jarvis Food Security and Innovation Award celebrates individuals and teams delivering meaningful, real-world impact at the intersection of microbiology, food, and sustainability.
How this award aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
The award recognises contributions aligned with the following SDG 2 targets:
- Target 2.1 – End Hunger: Developing microbiological solutions that increase food availability and improve nutritional quality
- Target 2.3 – Double Agricultural Productivity: Enhancing soil health, crop performance, and resilience through applied microbiology, particularly benefiting small-scale producers
- Target 2.4 – Sustainable Food Production Systems: Supporting sustainable, resilient, and climate-adaptive agricultural practices through microbiological innovation
Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation.
The award also aligns with the following SDG 9 targets:
- Target 9.1 – Infrastructure Development: Strengthening food processing, storage, and distribution infrastructure through microbiological innovation
- Target 9.2 – Sustainable Industrialisation: Advancing inclusive and sustainable food industry practices enabled by applied microbiology
- Target 9.4 – Upgrade Infrastructure and Industries: Improving efficiency, sustainability, and environmental performance in food production and processing
- Target 9.5 – Enhance Scientific Research: Driving innovation and technological advancement in the food sector through applied microbiology
- Target 9.a – Infrastructure in Developing Countries: Supporting food system infrastructure development in lower-resource settings
- Target 9.b – Domestic Technology Development: Strengthening domestic food technology research and innovation capacity