Submissions are due January 23, 2026, for books or long-form journalism pieces, published in English in calendar years 2024 and 2025, for a general audience. To be considered, the work must address real-world environmental challenges through the underlying goals of ecological economics. 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 current, 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.
We seek submissions from a broad range of authors and journalists. University of Vermont employees are not eligible for the prize.
Submission Portal and Guidelines
Submissions must come directly from the author or publisher via this submission portal (Qualtrics). Submission includes nomination letter summarizing the book or long-form journalism piece and how it uses the principles of ecological economics to address real-world environmental challenges.
If available in electronic form, please submit required materials through the submission portal. If not available in electronic form, please mail four physical copies to:
Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics
Gund Institute for Environment
Farrell Hall
210 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, Vermont 05401
Criteria
Acceptance Criteria
Submission by author or publisher
English language book or long-form journalism
Published in 2024 or 2025
Written for a general audience; academic journal articles will not be considered
Addresses real-world environmental challenges
Uses principles of ecological economics. The term “ecological economics” need not appear in submitted works, but the field’s underlying goals – understanding links among ecological, economic and social systems and advancing sustainability, equity, and human well-being – must be evident.
Review Criteria
Excellence in using principles of ecological economics to inform contemporary political, social, economic and cultural affairs
Relevance to bringing the political economy into line with the planet’s ecological limits
Excellence in conceptualization
Excellence in written expression
Clarity of presentation of ideas to a lay audience
Novelty
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,” said Eric Zencey.
Previous Winners
2024: Adrienne Buller, The Value of a Whale: On the Illusions of Green Capitalism. Read more about the book, and check out the Gund News story.
2022: Tim Jackson, Post Growth: Life After Capitalism. Learn about the book, and read the Gund News story.
2020: Bathsheba Demuth, Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait. Find out more about the book, and see news stories from the Gund Institute and Seven Days.
About Eric Zencey
As a writer, thinker, teacher, and public intellectual, Eric Zencey (1954-2019) worked to bring ecological economics—a system for understanding the political, economic, social, and environmental challenges facing our civilization—out of academia. The Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics honors that work and encourages others to continue it.
Zencey made substantial contributions to understanding the biophysical foundations of the economy during his career. He believed that infinite economic growth is impossible on a finite planet because the laws of thermodynamics apply to economic systems.
Zencey is author of four books, including The Other Road to Serfdom and the Path to Sustainable Democracy (UPNE); Greening Vermont: Towards a Sustainable State (with Elizabeth Courtney); and Virgin Forest (University of Georgia Press), a collection of essays on history, ecology, and culture. His first book was the internationally best-selling novel and New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Panama. His writing appeared in media outlets ranging from The New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education to Adbusters.
Zencey received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller-Bellagio Foundation, and the Bogliasco Foundation.
Zencey was a pioneer in the compilation of and advocacy for the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a more comprehensive measure of economic, social, and environmental health than Gross Domestic Product (GDP). His efforts led directly to Vermont becoming one of the first states in the nation to adopt GPI measurement.
Zencey’s affiliations at UVM included the Gund Institute, Political Science, the Honors College, the Center for Research on Vermont, and the Center for Rural Studies. At Washington University in St. Louis, his appointments included teaching and research positions in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Sam Fox School for Design and Visual Art. He also served as chair of the online history department at SUNY Empire State College and taught in the college’s international programs.
Support the Prize
The Zencey Prize endowment was created by Eric's family, friends and colleagues to honor his work, encourage others to continue it, and to support future generations of writers and scholars. Donate to the Zencey Prize to help the fund grow.
Questions?
Contact Juliana White (julianna.m.white@uvm.edu).