The award shall be conferred annually to one nominated recipient.
An active senior AFB member (aged above 50 years) with outstanding contributions to fungal biodiversity, taxonomy, systematics, and applied research, including industrial applications.
AFB shall have the sole authority to select the award recipient and to formulate and/or revise the rules governing the selection process.
The recipient will be felicitated with a memento, citation, and shawl. The award does not include a cash prize.
AFB will invite nominations from both members and non-members of AFB. Each nomination must include a bio-data in the prescribed format. A screening committee (SC) of three members, appointed by the Executive Council (EC) of AFB, will review the nominations. If an EC or SC member is nominated, he/she should not be part of the EC or SC. After EC approval of the SC’s recommendations, the award will be announced and reported at the Annual General Body Meeting (AGM). The SC has the authority to disqualify any candidate found canvassing. A recipient can receive the award only once. The nominee must be an AFB life member. Non-members selected for the award must obtain life membership by paying a non-refundable fee before receiving the award. Once awarded, the awardee can apply for any other award(s) of AFB after three years of completion.
Once the Executive Council approves the name recommended by the SC, the decision will be officially announced. The Association will notify the selected recipient and invite them to deliver a lecture during the annual meeting. The lecture will be published in the official journal of the Association, Mycological Spectrum and must not exceed 10 printed pages. If the recipient is unable to deliver the lecture due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances, they may present it the following year. However, if they are unable to attend the following year as well, the award will be forfeited.
