International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize

International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize

The IMO Prize originates from the International Meteorological Organization, the predecessor to WMO. The IMO Prize is awarded annually. The first was presented to Dr Th. Hesselberg of Norway in 1956. 

  • A 14-carat gold medal 57 mm in diameter. It bears on one side the official WMO emblem and on the other side the Latin inscription Pro singulari erga scientiam meteorologicam merito
  • A monetary award of 10 000 Swiss francs
  • A parchment scroll
Guidelines

Initially, the IMO Prize was granted in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of meteorology. However, when the WMO mandate came to include operational hydrology in 1971, the range of IMO Prize expanded to include hydrology. Today, the IMO Prize covers any other field referred to in Article 2 of the WMO Convention.

Candidates for the IMO prize must be living persons; however, the award may be made posthumously to a candidate who dies between the date of his nomination and that of the awarding of the Prize.

Members of the Executive Council, as electors, are not eligible for the award during their term(s) of office.

Nomination procedure

Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Missions of Member State with WMO or Permanent Representatives of Member State/Territory with WMO are invited to nominate candidates for the IMO Prize. The nominations should be communicated to the Secretary-General by email to IMOPrize_nominations@wmo.int, for transmission to the Selection Committee of the Executive Council.

The nomination must include:

  1. A Nomination Form signed by either the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission or Permanent Representative. Nomination must include name, professional and home mailing address, present professional title and institutional affiliation.
  2. A precise and factual summary of accomplishments that provides a brief statement (1-2 pages) of the individual's achievements in the fields relevant to the Prize with a focus on the most recent five years, in at least one of the following: (i) advancing weather, climate and water science and/or it application to society; (ii) leadership of the International weather, climate and water community, with a particular emphasis on furthering the purpose of WMO; communicating weather, climate and water science and/or increasing public engagement in the field of weather, climate and water science and its application.. The summary of accomplishments should be in MS Word format, and follow the template.
  3. The nominee's curriculum vitae or resumé.
  4. A list of the nominee's publications.
  5. Two five-minute video presentations by the nominee and the Permanent Representative.

A candidature received after the deadline (one month prior to the opening of the Executive Council session) shall not be considered at that session, but shall be taken into consideration for all subsequent IMO Prizes to be awarded during the current four-year financial period, as will all candidates submitted but not chosen for the award during that financial period.

List of winners

2022 Sue Barrell

Dr Sue Barrell (Australia)

Sue Barrell of Australia honored for outstanding leadership (WMO News)

2021 Prof. In-Sik Kang (Republic of Korea)

Professor In-Sik Kang (Republic of Korea)

WMO awards IMO prize to Prof. In-Sik Kang (WMO News)

IMO Prize Ceremony Lecture (PowerPoint)

2020 WMO former President David Grimes

Mr David Grimes (Canada)

WMO former president David Grimes is honoured (WMO News)

IMO Prize Ceremony and Lecture

2019 Photo credit European Geosciences Union

Professor Sergej Zilitinkevich (Russian Federation)

Sergej Zilitinkevich Memorial Award (see also Sergej Zilitinkevich Memorial Award Established)

Career highlights

2015 Alfred Wegener Medal & Honorary Membership

2018 Divino Moura of Brazil wins IMO Prize

Dr Antonio Divino Moura (Brazil)

Divino Moura of Brazil wins IMO Prize (WMO News)

IMO Prize Winner 2018, Presentation (video)

Career highlights

 

 

2017

Gordon McBean IMO Prize Winner 2017

Professor Gordon McBean (Canada)

WMO presents top scientific prize to Gordon McBean of Canada (WMO News)

Career highlights

 

2016

IMO Prize 61 Qing-Cun Zeng

Professor Qing-Cun Zeng (People's Republic of China)

Interview in Bulletin 64/1, 2015

Career highlights (in Chinese)

 

2015

 

Professor Dame Julia Slingo DBE  (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

The Evolution of Climate Science: A personal view from Julia Slingo (article based on her IMO prize lecture)

Toward seamless climate-weather and environmental prediction (video);

Related materials

Career highlights 

 

 


2014

Dr Alexander Bedritsky (Russian Federation) - President of WMO, 2003-2011

WMO's role in the global soio-economic (sustainable) development (IMO prize scientific lecture PowerPoint);

Related materials

Career highlights

 


2013
 

Dr Tillmann Mohr (Germany)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 54/1, page 27

Related materials

Career highlights 

2012

Dr Zaviša Janjić (Serbia/United States of America)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 62/2

Related materials

Career highlights 

2011

Professor Aksel Wiin-Nielsen (Denmark)

Career highlights

2010

Professor Taroh Matsuno (Japan)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 60/2

Related materials

Career highlights

2009

Professor Eugenia Kalnay (Argentina/United States of America)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 59/2

Related materials

Career highlights

2008

Mr Qin Dahe (People's Republic of China)

Related materials

Career highlights

 

2007

Professor Jagadish Shukla (India/United States of America)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 54/4, page 185

Related materials

Career highlights

 

2006

Professor Lennart Bengtsson (Sweden)

Tropical cyclones in a warmer climate (IMO prize speech, published in WMO Bulletin Vol 56/3, page 196);

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 53/3, page 191

Career highlights

 

2005

Dr John W. Zillman (Australia) - President of WMO, 1995-2003

The WMO legacy for the 21st century: meteorology as a model for humanity (IMO prize speech, WMO Bulletin Vol 55/3, page 191);

The challenges for meteorology in the 21st century (IMO prize speech, WMO Bulletin Vol 54/4, page 224);

Related material: Adaptation to a variable and changing climate: challenges and opportunities for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (WMO Bulletin Vol 58/3)

Career highlights

2004 Bennert Machenhauer

Dr Bennet Machenhauer (Denmark)

Related material: Spectral Methods

Career highlights

2003

Dr Ye Duzheng (People's Republic of China)

Related materials

Career highlights

2002

Dr Joanne Simpson (United States of America)

Related materials

Career highlights

 

2001

Professor M. H. Ganji  (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

Pioneers in Meteorology in I.R. of Iran: three generations - (published pn the occasion of IMO Prize 2001 for Dr. M. H. Ganji)

2000

Professor Emeritus Edward Norton Lorenz (United States of America)

The nature and theory of the general circulation of the atmosphere - The First IMO Lecture, presented at the Fifth Congress in 1967

Career highlights

1999

Professor James C. I. Dooge (Ireland)

Related materials

Career highlights

1998

Sir John Houghton (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Related materials

Career highlights

1997

Professor Mariano A. Estoque (Philippines)

Related materials

Career highlights

1996

Professor Tiruvalum N. Krishnamurti (United States of America)

Career highlights

1995

Dr Roman L. Kintanar (Philippines) - President of WMO, 1979-1987

The World of Weather and Water - an interview with Dr Kintaner

Related materials

Career highlights

1994

Dr J.P. Bruce (Canada)

Related materials

Career highlights

1993

Professor W. E. Suomi (United States of America)

Career highlights

1992 Yuri Antonievich Izrael

Professor Yuri Antonievich Izrael (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Career highlights

1991

Professor Ragnar Fjørtoft (Norway)

Career highlights

 

1990

Dr Richard E. Hallgren (United States of America)

Career highlights

1989

Professor Pisharoth Rama Pisharoty (India)

Career highlights

1988 Ken Hare IMO Prize 1988

Professor F. Kenneth Hare (Canada)

Career highlights

1987 Mikhail Ivanovich Budyko

Professor M. I. Budyko (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Career highlights

1986 Hermann-Flohn-image Alchetron.png

Professor Hermann Flohn (Germany)

Career highlights

1985

Sir Arthur Davies (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

1984  

Dr T. F. Malone (United States of America)

Career highlights

1983

Mr M. F. Taha (Egypt) - President of WMO, 1971-1979

Professor Juan Jacinto Burgos (picture) (Argentina)

Career highlights

1982 WJ (Bill) Gibbs OBE

Dr William James Gibbs (Australia)

Career highlights

1981 Professor Bert Bolin (Sweden)

Professor Bert Bolin (Sweden)

Global biogeochemical characteristics of the biosphere and their dependence on climate and climate change - Presentation of the Fourth IMO Lecture at the Eighth Congress in 1979

Career hightlights

1980

Dr Robert M. White (United States of America)

Career highlights

Related materials

1979

Professor Helmut Erich Landsberg (United States of America)

Career highlights

Related materials

1978

Dr Alf E. G. E. Nyberg (Sweden) - President of WMO, 1963-1971

Career highlights

1977 JNWPU/NCEP Director, Dr George Cressman-image NOAA

Dr G. P. Cressman (United States of America)

Career highlights

1976 Evgeny Konstantinovich Fedorov

Academician E. K. Fedorov (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Carrer highlights

1975 Godson IMO Prize 1975

Dr Warren L. Godson (Canada)

Career highlights

1974

Professor Joseph Smagorinsky (United States of America)

Career highlights

1973

Dr Charles Henry Brian Priestley (Australia)

Mr John Stanley Sawyer (picture) (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights 

1972 Victor Antonovich Bugaev

Academician Victo r Antonovich Bugaev (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Career highlights

1971

Professor Jule Gregory Charney (United States of America)

Career highlights

1970 Richard_Scherhag-image U of Berlin.jpg

Dr Richard Th. A. Scherhag (Germany)

Career highlights

1969

Professor Erik Herbert Palmén (Finland)

Career highlights 

1968

Sir Graham Sutton (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights

1967

Professor Kirill Y. Kondratyev (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Career highlights

1966

Professor Tor Bergeron (Sweden)

Career highlights

1965

Professor Sverre Petterssen (Norway/ United States of America)

Career highlights

Encyclopedia Britannica listing

1964

Dr Francis W. Reichelderfer (United States of America) - President of WMO, 1951-1955

Career highlights

1963

Dr Reginald Cockcroft Sutcliffe (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights

1962

Dr Anders Ångström (Sweden)

Career highlights

Related materials

1961

Professor Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan (India)

Related materials

1960

Professor Jacques Van Mieghem (Belgium)

In memorium

1959

Professor Jacob Bjerknes (Norway/ United States of America)

Career highlights

Related materials

1958

Mr Ernest Gold (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights

1957

Professor Carl Gustav Rossby (Sweden/United States of America)

Career highlights

1956

Dr Th. Hesselberg (Norway)

Career highlights