HONOURS AND AWARDS

The WTS has established a “Distinguished Paper in the Field of Working Time Research” award. The award is to be presented at each WTS symposium (approximately every two years).

Only members of the WTS are eligible to nominate a paper for the award. However, the authors of the nominated paper can be non-members. The eligibility criteria for nominated papers are described below.

1. Topic – The main topic or touch point of the proposed paper should be working time. The paper may address issues such as (but not limited to) health, safety or social aspects of working time.
2. Article type – Both original and review articles are acceptable as long as they have undergone peer review and are full-length articles. Shorter papers, such as short communications, letters, extended abstracts, and technical notes, are not eligible.
3. Journal type – The publication must appear in a scientific journal with an impact factor greater than 1.
4. Time window – Eligible papers are those published within the period of 6 months before the last WTS symposium to 6 months before the next. For WTS 2025 in Brazil, papers must be published between March 2019–May 2025. Papers published only online within the announced period are also eligible. Papers under review or accepted but not yet published are not eligible.
5. Quality – When nominating a paper for the award, it is important to provide a clear rationale for what makes the article ‘distinguished’ in the field. This includes (but is not limited to) methodological and/or analytical innovation, exceptionally high-quality data, and significance in the field. Item 8 of this document presents the criteria used to make final award decisions.
6. Nominations and authorship – Nominations must be submitted by WTS members. The nominator may not be an author on the paper. The only exception to this authorship rule is for publications with a graduate or doctoral student as first author, in which case either the student themself or a co-author may nominate the paper (self-nomination).
7. Submission – The application should be submitted to the Chair of the WTS Honours and Awards Committee.
8. Decision process and criteria – All nominations submitted to the chair of the Honours and Awards Committee will be evaluated by the Fellows of the society who will make their recommendations for the winning papers. The WTS Board will make the final decision based on the Fellows’ evaluations.

In evaluation and decision making, the following criteria are used:
a) originality of the topic
b) appropriateness and innovativeness of the methodology
c) quality and sufficiency of the data
d) significance in the field

A maximum of three papers may receive this award at each symposium.

  Nominate a Distinguished Paper published between March 2019 and May 2025  

To download the Distinguished Paper nomination form, click here

The Working Time Society wants to recognize professionals who are in the early years of their career that intersects with shiftwork and working time topics. The goals of this distinction include growing the awareness and network of these researchers and practitioners by providing opportunities for them to display their work and for the WTS to grow its capacity and pipeline of new talent and ideas.

There are three categories under which a person may be nominated: Practice, Research, and Service. The Practice category is meant for those who are engaged in scheduling operations of some sort; the Research category is meant for those who conduct studies and produce new knowledge; and the Service category is meant for those who support those industries that engage in shiftwork by improving their working time arrangements (for example, consultants).

This award requires the submission of a brief write-up based on the questions below as well as a current CV of the nominee. The nominations will be evaluated on the merit of their activities. Awardees will receive time at the upcoming symposium to talk about their work, both to the attendees and separately with the WTS board, and will receive a certificate.

To download the Early Career Award nomination form, click here

Purpose and Name Rationale: Dr. Donald I. Tepas was a pioneer in the scientific study of night and shiftwork-related issues in the United States. Through his half-century effort to improve the working conditions, safety and health of those working shifts, Don both won the hearts and minds of his graduate students, the international shiftwork research community and organized labor, and at the same time stood up for ethical principle surrounding the conduct of research and the application of that research, even when it would have been far easier to look the other way or compromise. He leaves a legacy of highly productive and impactful students and a world better off for his time on it.

Type of Award: Career and Service Distinction

Who May Submit Candidate Name: A panel of at least three full members of the Working Time Society who each must have been a member in good standing for at least the past year. Only one form needs to be submitted per nomination, but should include the name and e-mail addresses of the three (or more) WTS members supporting the nomination.

Distinction Criteria

1. The award is meant to recognize a shiftwork researcher or decision maker (i.e. in industry or government) who has shown integrity and courage for standing up and doing what is right by the science and the worker, even when those actions might have negative personal consequences.
2. The awardee has demonstrated commitment and compassion for the workforce, and produced a body of work that has improved working conditions for shiftworkers.
3. The awardee has a demonstrated record of mentorship and professional development of those committed to the study and implementation of shift systems.
4. The awardee sustained their career through principles 1, 2 and 3 above, and has had a demonstrable impact on shiftwork safety and health.

To download the Donald I. Tepas Professional Impact Award Nomination Form, click here

The Working Time Society Constitution and Rules include two special member honors: a “Fellow” of the Society for WTS members and an “Honorary Member” for non-members. These are to recognize extraordinary or sustained, superior accomplishments of an individual. To be considered for these honors the eligibility criteria described below must be satisfied. In addition, the candidate’s distinction as a scientist and professional in the field of working time and health must be demonstrated.

Eligibility Criteria

There are two eligibility criteria for a Fellow: International Service and Membership in Society.

There are two eligibility criteria for a Honorary member: International Service and not being a member of Society.

1. International Service
   This includes such activities as service to WTS, an extensive publication record in international journals, international consulting, service to the United Nations, European Union, International Labor Office and similar.
2. Membership in Society (applicable for a Fellow)
   The candidate must have been a Full Member in good standing of the WTS (formerly known as the International Society for Working Time and Health Research) for at least the preceding 5 years. Student membership and Associated Membership do not confer eligibility.

Distinction Criteria

The candidate should have made outstanding contributions to ergonomics/ human factors. There are many ways in which this can be demonstrated. For example:

• The candidate could have had the primary responsibility for the technical direction, supervision or management of a significant effort during a sustained period of time.
• The candidate could be a well renowned researcher or consultant of great distinction.

Clear evidence of distinction should be supported by detailed descriptions and attachments to the nomination form that is submitted by the person nominating the candidate. For example, for a researcher, the most significant publications authored or co-authored by the candidate should be attached to the application. For a consultant, the most important consulting contracts should be outlined, together with the outcome of the contracts. Any other information to support or attest to the achievements of the candidate should be furnished to the WTS Honors Committee, in order to support their deliberation of the candidate’s merits.

To download the WTS Fellows and Honorary Members Nomination Form, click here