The 2019 prize winners of the WCRP/WWRP International Prize for Model Development were announced at the WCRP 40th Anniversary Symposium in San Francisco on 8 December 2019. There were many exceptional nominations for the prize and the Prize Committee wishes to express their appreciation to all nominees, proposers, and seconders for the high-quality of the applications received.
After careful consideration, the Prize Committee, consisting of representatives from WCRP, the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), and the Working Group on Numerical Experimentation (WGNE), decided to award two prizes to:
- Dr Clément ALBERGEL
- Dr Baoqiang XIANG
Clément Albergel is a research scientist from CNRS, the French National Research Centre, currently working in the research department of Météo-France (CNRM). He has experience in land surface modeling, remote sensing of soil moisture and vegetation, as well as in data assimilation.
Baoqiang Xiang is a project scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in the USA. His research interests include weather and climate change prediction, air-sea interactions, model development, and simulation.
The prize includes a certificate and funding for the recipient to present the results of his/her research at a major relevant conference or meeting of his/her choice.
Above: WCRP/WWRP International Prize for Model Development 2019 winners Clément Albergel (left) and Baoqiang Xiang (right).
Call for Nominations
now closed
As the demand for more accurate regional weather and seasonal predictions as well as climate projections increases, the need to improve the weather and climate models that underpin those predictions and projections becomes more urgent.
In recognition of the essential role model development plays to weather and climate science, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) are seeking nominations for the “WCRP/WWRP International Prize for Model Development”. The prize is awarded annually to an early- to mid-career researcher for an outstanding contribution to model development for the Earth System, its components and their coupling. It comprises a certificate signed by the Chairs of the WCRP Joint Scientific Committee and WWRP Scientific Steering Committee as well as funding for the recipient to present the results of their research at a major relevant conference or meeting of their choice.
The WCRP/WWRP International Prize for Model Development was established in 2014. Since 2016, it is awarded in conjunction with the “WCRP/GCOS International Data Prize”. Together, these two prizes for notable achievements in model and data development aim to honour, recognize, and foster research activities in their respective fields, as well as stress their mutual interdependence.
Selection Criteria:
Candidates should:
- Be within the first ten years of their career as measured by receipt of a PhD or equivalent highest qualification
- Have made a significant contribution to the development of a model with a demonstrable impact on the model results
- Have made a significant contribution to the wider community such as publications, editorships, organizing/convening activities, operational implementation or strong engagement in national and international modelling programmes
Selection process:
The candidates should be nominated by filling in the 2019 nomination form (.docx, please use this updated 2019 version). This includes a statement from the proposer (preferably a person with a good knowledge of the candidates work) as well as from a seconder. These statements should specifically address the above criteria. This should be supported by up to 3 papers or technical notes documenting the model improvement and evidence of the candidate’s individual contribution, as well as the candidate’s CV.
Nominations should be sent by email to WCRP (
If no suitable candidate is found, the prize will not be awarded.