This chapter provides guidelines for the organization of the MapBiomas Award in the countries, including the application process, selection of winners, award ceremony and communication.

This section addresses the main guidelines for the application process, the term of reference structure, the categories, the application form and the frequently asked questions document. 

1.1 Term of reference

• Every edition of the MapBiomas Award must have a term of reference presenting the rules and guidelines of the award (see an example in this link). It must contain the description and objectives of the Award, as well as the categories, accepted languages, eligibility criteria, application process, description of the prizes, schedule, evaluation criteria, and other award rules.

• Individual or co-authored works (examples: studies, articles, monographs, dissertations, thesis, reports), authored by students from schools, technical level, graduate, teachers, professors, professionals from private companies or from NGOs, public managers, etc., can apply for the MapBiomas Award. 

• Due to the diversity of themes and areas of application, there is no specific template that must be followed for the submitted works. 

• The works must, necessarily and mandatorily, meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Use data from any MapBiomas’ initiative, module or product;

  • From the second edition of the award, works can be either unpublished or published in the year before the term of reference onwards, in order to avoid old works participating in the selection.

  • A maximum limit of ten thousand words is suggested for the submitted works.

• There is no limit to the number of categories, as long as the eligibility criteria and prizes for each are described in the term of reference. It is recommended that, at a minimum, the following categories are used:

  • General: Any work eligible for the MapBiomas Award can compete in this category. Works submitted in other categories automatically also compete in the General Category;

  • Youth Category: Only works whose first author is up to 30 years old and has not yet completed undergraduate or has finished an undergraduate degree during the year before the term of reference divulgation.

• Authors can submit as many works as they want, individually or collectively. However, each work can only be awarded once.

1.2 Application Form 

• Applications may be sent through an online form (example of the online forms made using Google Forms) with information about personal data and regarding the work being submitted, including which categories the work will be competing in. Authors must also send via this online form:

  • The complete work in digital format (PDF);

  • A declaration signed (either with a physical or digital signature) by ALL authors agreeing to send the work to compete for the Award and stating that, if the work is awarded, they will allow its use and dissemination in MapBiomas network’s communication materials. These declarations should be submitted as a single PDF file. An example of the document can be found at this link.

  • Applications made by other means (e.g. through MapBiomas contact email or postal) or submitted after the deadline established in the term of reference will not be accepted.

1.3 FAQ   

• A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, specifically for each edition of the Award, should be made available on the website to clarify the most common doubts of potential candidates, providing transparency and facilitating the application process. This document can be edited through the application period to include more questions and their answers.

This section describes all the steps for the winners' selection, including a description of the criteria that can be used. 

• The selection of winners for the MapBiomas Award follows a structured, three-step process to ensure fairness, transparency, and rigor in evaluating all submitted works.

2.1 Pre-selection 

• The initial phase of selection is carried out by one or more members of MapBiomas, typically the award organizers. Their role is to conduct a preliminary review of all submissions to verify that each work complies with the award's rules and standards. This quick assessment filters out any works that do not meet the basic requirements or are not deemed of sufficient quality to proceed to the next stage. 

2.2 Peer Review

• In the second phase, qualified voluntary reviewers from inside and outside the network are recruited. Reviewers are generally recommended to have a PhD or Master Degree, or to possess recognized expertise in the relevant field, depending on the award category. Submissions are randomly distributed among these reviewers, ensuring that each work is evaluated by at least two different reviewers. Importantly, a conflict-of-interest check is conducted to avoid any potential bias in evaluations.

• Reviewers are advised to evaluate no more than four works, allowing for thorough and thoughtful reviews without creating an excessive workload. This phase ensures that each work receives a fair, professional, and unbiased evaluation. It is recommended that a period of one month be given for the reviewers to evaluate the submitted works.

• Reviewers will complete their evaluations through an online form (example), where they will be required to provide their name and the title of the work they are evaluating. The evaluation form will also include a scoring system based on four criteria (see "Criteria for Judging the Work" section below), with a 1-5 mark (1- weak, 2- median, 3-good, 4- very good, and 5- excellent). The reviewers should also write a paragraph with a general evaluation, summarizing their assessment of the work and providing explanations for the scores assigned to each criterion, in order to help the Award Committee to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each work and the reasoning behind the reviewers’ marks.

2.3 Award Committee 

• After the peer review phase, the best submissions in each category are listed based on the reviewers’ evaluations. The Award Committee, composed of members from inside and outside the network with diverse expertises appointed by the MapBiomas scientific coordination and other possible partner organizations, convenes to make the final decision on the winners. The committee engages in a structured discussion of the merits of the listed works, considering factors such as the innovative use of MapBiomas data, the potential impact of the work, and other criteria outlined in the "Criteria for Judging the Work" section below. Multiple meetings may be held if necessary to reach a consensus.

2.4 Criteria for Judging the Work 

• The evaluation of submissions for the MapBiomas Award is based on a set of key criteria, designed to assess different aspects of the submitted works. Depending on the category of the award, these criteria may be weighted differently to reflect the specific goals and focus of each category. The criteria are as follows:

• Consistency: Evaluates how well the work aligns with the objectives and scope of the award. Submissions should demonstrate a clear, logical structure, with methodologies, data analysis, and conclusions that are coherent and robust. Reviewers will look for solid argumentation, transparent presentation of results, and proper use of the MapBiomas data. Any inconsistencies or gaps in the methodology or interpretation may detract from the overall score in this category.

• Relevance: Assesses the significance of the work within its field or category. This includes how well the work addresses important questions or challenges, and its contribution to advancing knowledge, technology, or solutions in the given domain. Works that tackle current issues with high importance — such as environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, or land use policies — will score higher. Relevance may vary based on the focus of the category, whether it’s more technical, scientific, or aimed at policy impact.

• Originality and Innovation: Examines how innovative and original the submission is. It looks for new ideas, creative approaches, or novel applications of existing methodologies. Submissions that demonstrate unique ways of using MapBiomas data, present groundbreaking findings, or propose creative solutions to problems are given higher scores in this category. The level of innovation can vary depending on the category, with some works focusing more on scientific discovery, while others may highlight technical or practical applications.

• Potential for Impact: evaluates the potential impact of the work in various dimensions, such as technical-scientific impact (how the work advances technical or scientific knowledge in the relevant field), socio economic impact (potential for the work to contribute to socioeconomic development, such as by influencing practices in agriculture, forestry, or land management), environmental impact (how the work contributes to environmental conservation, biodiversity protection, or sustainable land use), and in public policies (potential to influence public policy, inform decision-making, or support the implementation of effective policy measures). Works that demonstrate strong potential for impact in one or more of these areas, particularly through the innovative use of MapBiomas data, will be highly valued. The specific weighting of each dimension may vary depending on the category, with some categories placing more emphasis on technical contributions and others on policy relevance.

This section provides guidelines for planning the awards ceremony, from selecting the event venue, supporting winners, works presentation, trophy and certificate. 

An award ceremony where the winning works are celebrated and prizes are presented should be held at a designated venue, which should be announced in advance, or online, preferably in a live transmission.

3.1 Event venue 

• If it is possible to make an in-person event, the award ceremony will be held at a designated venue, which will be announced in advance. The venue is carefully selected to accommodate the winners and other stakeholders, offering the awardees an opportunity to showcase their work to a broad audience.

3.2 Winners  

• The announcement of the winners in the ceremony should be followed by a short presentation of their work through slides or a video (up to two minutes), preferably prepared by the award organizers to ensure uniformity and adequate presentation time. The video usually covers information about the work itself, its implications and how MapBiomas data was used.

• For each winner, it may also be offered a t-shirt and a GEE course.

• To ensure the participation of the winners in case of an in-person event, transportation and accommodation should be offered for up to 1 (one) author per awarded work. Usually, only transportation within the national territory is covered using MapBiomas’ funds.

• Trophy: Visual Identity (to be developed)

• Certificate: certificates will be issued for award winning authors. Each certificate will clearly state the category of the award, the full names of all authors, and the title of the winning work.

This section describes strategies of communication with the award applicants and reviewers as well as in publicizing and promoting the award. 

4.1 Communication strategy

• The Award is part of a communication strategy that considers target audiences that were initially identified to promote the use of MapBiomas data. [to be developed]

4.2 Email 

• A separate email address should be established specifically for handling all communications related to the MapBiomas Award. It should be available all year-round to answer queries and any concerns from participants and other interested parties. Invitations to reviewers, contact with winners and other applicants, mailing lists announcing deadlines should be done through this email.

4.3 Social Networks 

• The award organizers, with the support of the MapBiomas communication team, should actively engage with the public to raise awareness of the award. This can be done through social media campaigns, blog posts, and press releases, highlighting key dates in the award process, such as deadlines for the application phase and the award ceremony event, and promoting the work of past winners. 

4.3 Videos about the awardees

[to be developed]