On an annual basis, YO is awarding outstanding young scientists (age <35) for their scientific contribution to wildlife conservation around the globe. The jury consisted of the following experts:

Dr. Gerhard Damm, former President of the CIC Division Applied Science; Dr. David Scallan (FACE) ; Prof. Dr. Klaus Hackländer, President of the CIC Division Applied Science and Dr. Kristóf Hecker, Head of Division Coordination Unit at the CIC Headquarters.

The two winners of the CIC YO Research Award 2017 were

Qobiljon Shokirov, Tajikistan: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Community Based Wildlife Management: A case study from Tajikistan (available in English)

Damien Thiry, Belgium: Role of wildlife and domestic pigs as reservoirs for hepatitis E virus (HEV): study of the infection in suids and cervids and of the susceptibility of pigs to HEV originating from wild boar. (available in English)