Nomination Procedure

Nominations for the 2010 Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal will be accepted as of Monday, November 2, 2009, and close Monday, March 8, 2010. The official nomination form is available here, in pdf format, or by email from Dr. Beau Beza at beza@hillarymedal.org.

The 2010 award will include airfare and accommodation to facilitate the honoree’s participation in the Hillary Medal Presentation in Melbourne, Australia. He or she will be invited to discuss the work already accomplished and plans for the future, both informally and also at a formal lecture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Eligibility Criteria

The Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal is awarded "for remarkable service in the conservation of culture and nature in mountainous regions."

• Nominees working in mountainous regions anywhere in the world are eligible.
• As the award is for both cultural and environmental conservation, nominees should be working in inhabited mountainous regions.
• One purpose of this award is to draw attention to efforts that are in need of broader support; therefore nominees should be currently engaged in such a project.
• Nominations of third parties as well as self-nominations will be accepted.
• Hillary Medal recipients cannot be re-nominated; however, unsuccessful candidates may be re-nominated without prejudice.
• Exceptionally, two or more individuals may share a joint nomination if equal credit is due for the same project(s); however, in such a case only one medal will be awarded.
• The identities of nominators and of unsuccessful nominees shall remain confidential.

Explanatory Notes

1. In the event a prospective candidate is uncertain as to whether a particular project or undertaking is appropriate for consideration, please contact the Chair of the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal for clarification.
2. There is no universally accepted definition of mountain. For the purpose of this award, the term will embrace isolated peaks such as Mt. Kilimanjaro, ranges such as the European Alps, and also high plateaus such as the Chang Tang of Tibet. Sea mounts are excluded from consideration except those whose above-water extent and form resemble those of land-based mountains. In debatable situations, the decision of the Chair of the Selection Committee shall be definitive.
3. ‘Inhabited’ refers to permanent and/or seasonal settlement of any remote mountain area. It does not refer to transient outsiders such as tourists or researchers.
4. Organisations as such are not eligible to receive this Medal. However, individuals working within an organisation are eligible.
5. Nominators should present the nominee’s achievements in an accurate and persuasive fashion. Nominators should give evidence of the candidate’s sustained commitment to cultural and environmental conservation in one or more mountainous regions.
6. If deemed necessary, the Selection Committee will verify submitted information and seek out additional evidence.
7. Nominations and supporting material, whether submitted in hardcopy or electronic form, are due no later than 11:00pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) on Monday, March 8, 2010.
8. The Chair of the Selection Committee will notify the nominator by email upon receipt of the nomination. Nomination material will not be returned.
9. The successful nominee will be notified of the award in late March 2010. At that time, other nominees will be informed that their candidacy has not prevailed only after it has been confirmed that the successful nominee will actually be able to accept the award.
10. The Hillary Medal Selection Committee is not obliged to award the Medal if the Selection Committee deems that no candidate meets the eligibility criteria and/or that insufficient supporting or verifiable evidence of a nominee’s achievements have not been made available.
11. The Hillary Medal is to be presented to the 2010 recipient in person at an award event in mid-2010. The 2010 award will include one roundtrip economy air ticket and accommodation to facilitate the honouree’s participation in the Hillary Medal Presentation in Melbourne, Australia.
12. While in Melbourne, the 2010 Hilary Medal recipient will be invited to discuss the work already accomplished and plans for the future, both informally and also at a formal lecture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.