The Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont and the U.S. Society of Ecological Economics are pleased to invite submissions for the Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics, which celebrates outstanding writing on the environmental limits of our planet. 

Authors or publishers may submit books or long-form journalism published in English for a general audience in 2024 or 2025 that address real-world environmental challenges through the underlying goals of ecological economics.  

Submissions are due Jan. 23, 2026. 

The winning author will receive $10,000 USD, plus financial support for a trip to the University of Vermont to give a book talk. 

Named after pioneering scholar Eric Zencey (1954-2019), the prize recognizes published work that advances public understanding of extant environmental issues using the lens of ecological economics, a field that explores the relationships between economics and Earth’s limited natural resources. 

“I hope this prize will inspire future generations of environmental writers and ecological economists to communicate real-world solutions beyond the Ivory Tower,” said Eric Zencey, an esteemed scholar and public intellectual who worked to understand and address the great environmental challenges we face. 

Please see submission and competition information on this Gund Institute webpage.  

Send specific questions to julianna.m.white@uvm.edu.  

About the Zencey Prize 

The Zencey Prize is awarded every other year to the best book or long-form journalism piece that illuminates current affairs while advancing public understanding of the principles of ecological economics. No works intended for an academic audience are accepted.  

The winning author will visit UVM to receive the award, lead a public seminar, and engage with students. The winning author will also have the option to be named a  Global Affiliate of the Gund Institute. The prize will not be awarded when the review committee determines no entry to be sufficiently worthy.  

“My sincere hope is that this Prize will help nudge our civilization onto a better path—one that arrives purposefully at an ecologically sustainable relationship between society and nature,” Eric Zencey said. 

Previous Winners