Since 2018, USRA has awarded annual prizes for the best SOFIA-based research publication and SOFIA-based Ph.D. thesis. The prizes are awarded during the January AAS meeting. Below is the list of awarded papers.
2021
Paper Thushara G. S. Pillai, “Magnetized lamentary gas ows feeding the young embedded cluster in Serpens South”
Thesis: Casey I. Honniball, “Infrared Remote Sensing of Volatile Components on the Earth and Moon”
2020
Paper: Rolf Güsten, "Astrophysical detection of the helium hydride ion HeH+”
Thesis: Matt Hankins, "Exploring H II Regions and Massive Dusty Stars in the Galactic Center with SOFIA/FORCAST”
2019
Paper: Helmut Wiesemeyer, "Spectroscopy of the 2 THz N = 2 ← 1 ground state line”
Thesis: Maggie McAdam, “Water in the Early Solar System: Infrared Studies of Aqueously Altered and Minimally Processed Asteroids”
2018
Paper: Kate Su, “The Inner 25 au Debris Distribution in the ∊ Eri System”
Thesis: Ryan Lau, “Probing the Extreme Environment of the Galactic Center with Observations from SOFIA/FORCAST”