Daniel K. Lew Best Paper Award

Award Description

Dan Lew (1972-2025) started his career at NOAA Fisheries in 2003 after completing his PhD in Agricultural & Resource Economics at the University of California at Davis. He quickly became a central figure in NOAA Fisheries' national social science research program. His work focused on applying non-market valuation methods to measure and value recreational fishing activities, living marine resources, and ecosystem services in support of sustainability and the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Dan's intellectual curiosity was matched by a deep commitment to building an inclusive fisheries social science community. He generously supported and mentored students and colleagues at all career stages. During his service on the IIFET Executive Committee from 2020-2024, Dan strongly advocated for the inclusion and support of early-career researchers within IIFET and the broader applied economics community. This commitment remained a defining feature of his involvement with IIFET throughout his career.

In recognition of Dan's dedication to promoting student and early-career researcher participation at IIFET conferences, we are pleased to offer the Daniel K. Lew Best Paper Award  for IIFET 2026 Faroe Islands. The award is generously sponsored by Dan's wife, Kara Ueda.

Award Details

The Daniel K. Lew Best Paper Award includes:

  • Free conference registration

  • Participant support for IIFET 2026 Faroe Islands

The award and certificate will be presented at the opening plenary session of the IIFET 2026 conference, held 17–21 August 2026 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

  1. Be a student (as defined in the Best Student Paper Award eligibility) or an early-career researcher within five (5) years of completing your highest degree
  2. Be the primary author of the paper
  3. Submit a paper on an economic topic relevant to the conference themes
  4. Have an abstract for your paper accepted for ORAL presentation at IIFET 2026 and have received the acceptance notification

Please note: Students may apply to either the Daniel K. Lew Best Paper Award or the Best Student Paper Award, but not both.

Submission Process

  • Submission period: 1 February to 21 March 2026

  • Submit your paper by email to: [email protected] 

Formatting and Files

Papers must follow the IIFET 2026 Best Paper Formatting Rules. To ensure a blind review, submit two PDF files:

  1. Author information file

    • Paper title

    • All authors’ names, affiliations, titles, and contact information

    • Abstract

    • File name format: AuthorLastName + abstract number (example: Smith123.pdf)

  2. Blind review file

    • Paper title, abstract, full paper text, references, tables, and figures

    • No author names or identifying information

    • File name format: abstract number only (example: 123.pdf)

Student Status Attestation

If you are applying as a student, you must also submit an Attestation of Student Status by the deadline. No reference letters are required.

The attestation must be signed and dated by your major professor or department chair and must include the following statement:

I attest that {student’s name} is currently a student at {department and university}, or graduated after 21 March 2025, and that {student’s name} is the primary author of the paper {paper title}. Primary author means the student is responsible for the main intellectual work, analysis, and writing.

Important Notes

  • Do not submit a paper unless your abstract has been accepted for oral presentation.

  • Only papers that follow the formatting rules will be reviewed.

  • Papers that do not meet length or formatting requirements will not be sent to the committee.

  • Questions should be sent to Kat Goetting ([email protected]) well before the deadline.

Participant Support

Participant support may be used for:

  • Airfare

  • Lodging

  • Meals and other approved expenses

Travel arrangements will follow Oregon State University travel rules. Some limits apply. 

Honourable Mention

The committee may award honorable mentions. Honorable mention recipients will receive a certificate and free conference registration but no financial award or travel support.

Conference Proceedings

Award winners are encouraged to submit their papers to the online conference proceedings. If journal submission rules do not allow full paper publication, authors may submit a shortened paper or extended abstract instead.