About the H.C. Urey Award

The H.C. Urey Award is bestowed annually by the EAG for outstanding contributions advancing geochemistry over a career. It is named in honor of Harold Clayton Urey, an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 and later led him to theories of planetary evolution.

The award is based on scientific excellence as well as the broader impacts candidates have made in their careers to date. Such contributions to the broader geochemical community may include but are not limited to mentorship of young scientists, outreach, encouragement of diversity and inclusion in science or exceptional editorial contributions.

We are committed to promoting the diversity of our awardees, to recognizing a wide range of different types of exceptional contribution, and we acknowledge the different career paths that lead to the achievement of such contributions.
Nominations of underrepresented groups are encouraged.

The award is presented at the V.M. Goldschmidt Conference and consists of an engraved medal, an honorarium (1000 Euros), a certificate and inclusion as a Geochemistry Fellow.

Recipient of the 2023 Urey Award: Bo Barker Jørgensen

Aarhus University, Denmark

Bo Barker Jørgensen is a world-renowned microbial ecologist whose impact on biogeochemistry and geobiology has been revolutionary. Through novel methodologies and careful experiments and observations, Bo has revealed how microbes inhabiting marine waters and sediments both respond to and control their chemical environment. Thus, Bo has shown us how microbes shape the chemistry of the environment. Read more

The 2023 Urey Award Lecture will be presented at the Goldschmidt2023 Conference.

Former recipients of the Urey Award