The SPD awards the George Ellery Hale Prize for outstanding contributions over an extended period of time to solar astronomy, and the Karen Harvey Prize for a significant contribution to the study of the Sun early in a scientist's professional career. The SPD also gives popular writing awards, and holds a student poster contest at its meetings. Contestants are judged on readability, flow, quality of appearance and proportion of independent work done by the student. Judges also take into account the oral presentation by the student, how well the conclusions line up with the aim or purpose and the overall quality of the work.