I am looking for Eterna member feedback on this idea:
What: Creation of Phymirus Award
Purpose: to recognize a student’s innovation and contribution which is enhancing the Eterna research community’s development of thought, design and collaboration.
Selection Process: the student that received the most nominations by Eterna members who hold badge for Lab Design winner would be selected. This would keep selection process simple, discreet and directed by a small group of knowledgeable Eterna members.
Up to two awards each year and would require some threshold of minimum number of nominations to ensure that the contribution has merit. If threshold is not reached, no award would be granted in that period.
Award would include $1,000 which would be funded by Phymirus, an LLC that I created this year to encompass my research relationships. I would receive and tabulate nominations and would not be allowed to nominate anyone. Phymirus’s involvement would solely be to provide award funds. I would like this award to go unencumbered to the student to help them with any expenses or hardship they incurred in their efforts to improve Eterna. And also as a nice way to say thank you from the community.
In crafting above, I have reached out to several Eterna members for input because I want to make sure that this award meets and affirms Eterna’s values.
I am submitting this proposal here to get feedback from the Eterna community.