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SoFE Young Researcher Award

The Society of Food Engineering (SoFE) welcomes nominations for the SoFE Young Researcher Award. A SoFE professional member can nominate a deserving young professional for this award, subject to the eligibility criteria below.  Society of Food Engineering (SoFE) Young Researcher Award Nomination is due on or before September 01, 2026. 

A plaque and $2,500 cash prize will be presented to the award recipient at the 2026 Conference of Food Engineering (CoFE), to be held from November 08 to 11, 2026, in Waikoloa Village in Hawaii, USA.  The award recipient is required to attend CoFE 26 in Hawaii to receive the award. 

Eligibility

  • Received Ph.D. in food engineering or allied disciplines (e.g., chemical engineering, mechanical engineering) within eight years as of August 31, 2026. 
  • Currently work in the food engineering domain in academia, government, or industry. 

Evaluation Criteria

Only post-graduation accomplishments will be considered for the award. 

  • Significant Technical Innovation: Must demonstrate exceptional individual contributions to the R&D in Food engineering. This includes advancing food technologies, sustainable packaging, or engineering solutions to improve food safety and quality such as 
    • New product innovation with significant business impact 
    • Process innovation & optimization to improve quality, food safety, efficiency/cost 
    • Packaging solutions that are sustainable and extend shelf-life or minimize waste 
  • Evidence of Accomplishments & Recognition: A proven track record of excellence through: 
      • Intellectual Property: Issued patents or commercialized licenses. 
      • Scholarly Output: A consistent record of high-impact, peer-reviewed publications, and citations. 
      • Professional Standing: Major industry/academic awards and significant leadership roles within their organization or the broader field.  
  • Sustained Professional Service: Active and documented commitment to the Society of Food Engineering (SoFE) and other relevant professional bodies (e.g., committee leadership, conference organization, government research panels (e.g., NSF, DoE, USDA) or editorial board service). 

Submission Guidelines

  • Nomination package must be submitted by a current SoFE member to societyoffoodengineering@gmail.com with a subject line SoFE Young Researcher Award nomination 
  • The complete nomination package must be submitted as a single PDF file.  
  • The nomination package includes  
  • Nomination Letter: A maximum of 2 pages, authored by a current SoFE member. 
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV): Up to 5 pages. Please use 12-point Times New Roman font. It may include Educational Background, Professional Experience, Honors and Awards, Intellectual Property, Scholarly Publications, Conference Presentations, Professional Memberships, Technical Innovation & Service (a summary of original technical contributions and leadership or service roles within professional organizations), and Funding or Project Leadership. Applicants should emphasize and highlight accomplishments achieved since completing their terminal degree. 
  • Letters of Support: Two (2) letters, each limited to 1 page. 
    • Note: The nominator should not provide a support letter. 
  • Self-nominations are not accepted. 
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