ASCB Porter Prizes for Research Excellence

About the Award

Apply/Nominate a Grad Student

Apply/Nominate a Postdoc

 

One graduate student and one postdoctoral researcher will be selected on the basis of scientific excellence. In the spirit of Keith Porter, the emphasis will be on their individual contributions to the advancement of science and on the novelty and creativity of their findings. We are looking for discoveries that provide new ideas and new avenues for exploration in cell biology.

Criteria for the review of applications will focus on individual scientific excellence, and the creativity and novelty of the research described, distinguishing as best possible the contribution of the individual student or fellow from the overall track record of the lab.

These awards are made possible by the Porter Foundation.

Award Details

Winners will be presented with a plaque, invited to speak at the 2024 Cell Bio meeting, and attend dinner with the Porter lecturer at the meeting. Recipients will also receive a stipend of $3,000 for outstanding predoctoral research and $5,000 for outstanding postdoctoral research.

Who is Eligible

ASCB members who are graduate students and postdocs. If you apply as a graduate student you must be enrolled as a graduate student at the time of the deadline.

Selection Criteria

• Candidate’s individual scientific excellence and the creativity and novelty of the research described in the spirit of Keith Porter
• Candidate’s contributions to achieving additional areas of the ASCB mission (e.g., education, mentoring, public outreach)
• Candidate’s demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

How to Apply

Application deadline is June 30

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates may either self-apply or be nominated. If you are nominating another person please obtain all required documentation from the candidate prior to proceeding.

1. A CV or biosketch that follows the NIH (or similar format), no longer than 5 pages.
2. A narrative statement of no more than 2 pages that focuses on the candidate’s research achievements as well as indicating their contributions to one or more other areas of ASCB’s mission as noted above. The statement should be written by the candidate.
3. A statement describing the candidate’s research and indicating how it exemplifies the pioneering spirit of Keith R. Porter’s contributions to cell biology.
4. A statement regarding what lessons have you learned – through either lived or learned experiences – about issues of race, gender, socioeconomic, or other backgrounds, and how those lessons apply to this award.
5. Two letters of support, neither longer than 2 pages. At least one of the supporting letters must be from someone who is neither a collaborator nor mentor of the candidate  The letters of support should explicitly address whether a nominee’s professional conduct over their career embodies the principles and expectations noted in the Community Code of Conduct and Honorific Code of Conduct. **If you are self-applying, your letters of support can be sent directly to ASCB. Contact info@ascb.org for more information.
6. Abstract submission for the 2024 ASCB|EMBO Cell Bio meeting.

 Upload .pdf files, 1MB size limit per file.

 Please Note

1. ASCB wants to ensure that the pool of award candidates is as diverse and inclusive as possible. The demographic questions are for internal reporting only and are not viewable by award reviewers. The questions are not mandatory, however we would appreciate your responses so that we can assess our level of inclusivity.
2. As a founder of the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) ASCB does not use journal impact factors or other journal-based metrics in the evaluation process for its awards. ASCB looks at an individual’s research contributions and impact on the field, rather than the prestige of the journals where work is published.

Deadline: June 30, 2024

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