Projects Valdai Discussion Club Award
Award statute

1. Introduction

1.1. The Valdai Discussion Club (the “Club”) Award recognizes outstanding contributions to explaining and promoting understanding of changes that are taking place in global politics through academic papers, public appearances or research and education projects on key global development issues and international relations.

1.2. The Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club (the “Foundation” or “Award Founder”) is the founder and administrator of the Award (the “Award”). Professional associations, organizations and individuals can enter into contracts with the Foundation to become Award partners.

1.3. The Award was established in 2016 and is presented annually.

1.4. These Rules and Regulations contain provisions regarding the organization and holding of the Award, as well as selecting and awarding nominees.

1.5. These Rules and Regulations are subject to approval by the Award Founder.

2. Administration

2.1. Award Organizing Committee

2.1.1. The Organizing Committee shall administer the Award. The Organizing Committee shall be staffed by the Foundation and include the Foundation’s employees, members of the Foundation’s executive bodies, as well as outside parties involved to contribute to the preparation and holding of the Award, and to provide legal and media support.

2.1.2. The Award’s Organizing Committee shall have the following authority:

  • To handle the organizational, financial and material and technical aspects of the operation of the Award, the Academy Club and the Academy Council;

  • To keep records related to organizing and presenting the Award;

  • To organize the Award presentation ceremony for Award winners;

  • To provide media support for the Award;

  • To make publicly available these Rules and Regulations; the schedule for submissions, nominee selection, announcement of winners and award presentation; as well as information regarding the time, place and procedure for the Award ceremony along with other information related to the Award;

  • To resolve other organizational, financial and technical matters related to organizing the Award and raising public awareness about it.

2.1.3. The Organizing Committee shall include members of the Foundation Council, the Foundation’s Research Director, and members of a working group appointed by the Foundation.

2.1.4. The Organizing Committee’s operating procedures shall be determined by the Award Founder.

2.1.5. The Organizing Committee shall announce the Award by releasing an official statement to this effect on the Club’s website and in mass media.

2.2. The Club Academy

2.2.1. The Valdai Club Academy shall act as the Award’s expert body. Members of the Valdai Club Academy shall be referred to as Valdai Club Academicians.

2.2.2. The Academy shall be formed by the Organizing Committee to include the most distinguished and reputable Club experts who, at the time of the Award’s founding, had taken part in Club meetings six times or more and published articles on the Club’s website and in its print publications.

2.2.3. The Academy will initially be composed of 30 Academicians, and its membership will be increased annually by decision of the Organizing Committee by a maximum of 10 new members. Award finalists (their representatives), as well as candidates proposed by acting Academicians, join the Academy as members.

2.2.4. The Club Academy shall have the following authority:

  • To recommend nominees for the Award;

  • To assess the achievements of Award nominees;

  • To propose candidates for Academy membership;

  • To propose candidates for the Academy Council.

2.2.5. The Academy shall pass resolutions by a majority of votes cast by secret ballot. The vote shall be held by sending ballots (in electronic or paper form) to the Award Organizing Committee in the manner and within the timeframe established by the Award Organizing Committee and communicated to Academy members in advance. The quorum for taking a decision within the Academy shall be two thirds of the acting Academicians. When voting for nominees (shortlisting), Academicians shall not cast votes for nominees they had put forward (such votes shall not be counted).

2.2.6. Information about the Valdai Club Academy members (the organizations and companies they head) may appear on all printed materials related to the Award and on the Club website, should they so desire.

2.3. The Academy Council

2.3.1. The Valdai Club Academy Council shall be the Award’s supreme expert body.

2.3.2. The Academy Council shall be formed by the Award Organizing Committee to include 9 members, including the Academy Chair, the Foundation’s Board Chair, the Foundation’s Research Director, as well as six Club Academicians, voted for by Academy members.

2.3.3. The Academy Council shall be elected for a three-year term.

2.3.4. The Academy Council shall have the following authority:

  • To organize Academy meetings (in person and in absentia);

  • To assess the achievements of shortlisted nominees for the Award and selecting Award winners;

  • To take part in Academy meetings.

2.3.5. The Academy Council shall pass resolutions by a majority of votes cast by secret ballot. The vote shall be held by sending ballots to the Award Organizing Committee in the manner and within the timeframe established by the Award Organizing Committee and communicated to Academy Council members in advance. The quorum for taking a decision within the Academy Council shall be two thirds of the acting Academy Council members. When voting for nominees (selecting Award winners), Academy Council members shall not cast votes for nominees they had put forward (such votes shall not be counted).

2.3.6. The Council Chair, appointed by the Foundation, shall be in charge of managing the Academy Council’s operations. The Chair shall be appointed for the same term as the Council. The powers of the Council Chair may be subject to early termination by decision of the Academy Council or the Foundation.

2.3.7. The Valdai Club Academy Council Chair may

  • Take part in Academy Council meeting with the casting vote;

  • Attend all events related to the Award;

  • Take part in meetings of the Award’s Organizing Committee;

  • Take part in the Award ceremony;

  • Sign Award diplomas.

3. Award nominees

3.1. Award nominees shall be chosen among authors, experts, as well as expert or other groups who made a contribution to explaining or promoting understanding of changes that are taking place in global politics during the period for which the Award in question is presented.

3.2. Award nominees shall be designated by Valdai Club Academicians in the manner and within the timeframe established by the Award Organizing Committee.

3.3. Valdai Club Academicians shall propose nominees by making a presentation on the nominee to the Award Organizing Committee. Every year, an Academician can propose one nominee for the Award. The nomination process shall be carried out in the manner and within the timeframe determined by the Award Organizing Committee and communicated to the Academicians in advance.

4. Selection of Award winners

4.1. The Award winners shall be selected in a competitive process.

4.2. The selection process shall include the following stages:

Stage

Description

Award body

1

Valdai Club Academicians put forward nominees

Club Academy

2

The Club Academy reviews presentations on the achievements of the nominees during the period in question and creates a nominee shortlist from projects with the most votes. The short list shall include not more than 10 presentations.

Club Academy

3

The Academy Council reviews presentations on the achievements of shortlisted nominees and selects Award winner(s).

Academy Council

4

Award winner(s) are approved.

Award Organizing Committee

5

Award winner(s) and results are announced at the Award ceremony, the date and place of which are determined by the Organizing Committee.

Award Organizing Committee

5. Nominee evaluation criteria

5.1. Award nominee evaluation criteria shall be determined by members of the Club Academy and Academy Council based on their experience and requirements applicable to prospective winners.

6. Award categories

6.1. The Organizing Committee shall establish the Award categories.

6.2. The Award categories shall be announced in the manner established by the Award Organizing Committee.

6.3. The Organizing Committee may introduce supplementary nominations at any stage in the Award at its discretion or at the suggestion of the Academy Council Chair.

7. The Award Ceremony and the Grant Agreement

7.1. At the Award Ceremony, the laureate is awarded a commemorative prize from the Valdai Club.

7.2. After the Award Ceremony, the laureate will be proposed to conclude an agreement with the Club on the provision of a cash grant for the implementation of academic, research programmes and projects (hereinafter referred to as projects) during the next year.

7.2.1. The right to choose a project (writing a new book, an analytical article, humanitarian, social, research work, etc.) belongs to the laureate. The rights to the results of intellectual activity created during the implementation of the project belong to the laureate.

7.2.2. The Club shall provide the grant to the laureate under the condition that the laureate accepts the following obligations:

  • To agree to provide the Club with reports confirming the use of the grant for research activities, specified in clause 7.2.1 of these Regulations.

  • To agree that the Club will publish annotations of the supported project, including on the official website of the Club.

7.3. If the laureate agrees with the terms of the grant, the Club sends the laureate for review and filling out the approved form of the agreement for the provision of a cash grant (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement).

7.4. The agreement will be considered concluded only after it is signed by the Club and the laureate.

7.5. The provision of the grant is carried out by the Club only after the conclusion of the Agreement by means of a cashless transfer of funds to the laureate’s account.

7.6. If the laureate refuses to conclude the Agreement, the Club does not provide the grant to the laureate.

8. General provisions

8.1. The Award is not intended to counterbalance any other award or similar activities by any organization or individual.

8.2. By presenting a nominee, an Academician confirms that the nominee in question accept the terms of these Rules and Regulations.

8.3. Objections, appeals and claims regarding the Award results or its stages shall be submitted in writing to the following address: award@valdaiclub.com. Any and all claims, complaints and objections shall be supported by evidence. The Award Founder and the Organizing Committee reserve the right not to engage in correspondence or any other contact with Award nominees except when required to do so under these Rules and Regulations.

8.4. The nominees shall assume any and all expenses related to the Award (including transportation, accommodation, meals and other expenses).

8.5. In accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, the Award Founder or the Organizing Committee may cancel the Award in the following cases: insufficient funding allocated for the Award, if holding specific stages of the Award is viewed as unadvisable, if there is a need to clarify the Award terms or in other cases. If the Award Founder or the Organizing Committee resolve to withdraw from the Award or cancel it, a notification to this effect shall be released on the Award’s official website.

8.6. The Award Founder and the Award Organizing Committee shall not be liable for any losses, including lost profit, related directly or indirectly to participating in the Award, using Award materials, the Award prizes, or related in some other way, directly or indirectly, with organizing, holding or summing up the results of the Award and/or specific stages in the Award process.

8.7. Documents and other materials submitted in order to take part in the Award competition shall not be returned to the nominees.

8.8. At any time, the Founder may amend these Rules and Regulations at its discretion. Should any errors, misinterpretation or any other issue arise regarding the Award or any of its stages and/or these Rules and Regulations, the decisions by the Award Founder and the Organizing Committee shall be final and not subject to appeal.

8.9. The Award nominee accepts, approves and agrees to the following: The Award Founder, Organizing Committee and any third parties may use (both in full and in part) all submitted materials, personal data as well as the nominee’s image subject to approval and authorization by the Award Founder and in any format worldwide without any exclusions or restrictions throughout the term of the copyright to the relevant intellectual property under the laws of the Russian Federation.