The ASCB recognizes worthy scientists at various levels with a variety of prestigious awards and grants (see below).
Note: ASCB is unable to consider two people being nominated for the same award together. All awards are given only to one individual.
In addition, travel and childcare awards are offered to selected applicants to attend the annual meeting.
ASCB Awards
The following links contain information about the eligibility, application, and deadline for each award.
Trainee Awards
Open to graduate students and postdocs beginning their careers
ASCB Porter Prizes for Research Excellence
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 contribut…
Submission Deadline: June 30, 2024
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Merton Bernfield Memorial Award
This award for postdocs and graduate students was established with member donations in memory of Merton Bernfield.
Submission Deadline: June 30, 2024
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Early and Mid-Career Awards
For members who have been independent investigators for up to 15 years
ASCB Award for Excellence in Research by a Historically Excluded Person (HEP)
This award for excellence in research is presented to an early or mid-career ASCB member who self-identifies as a Historically Excluded Person (HEP)*. The recipient will be making exceptional scientific contributions to cell biology, is developing a st…
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WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research
A woman or non-binary person in an early stage of their career (within seven years of appointment to an independent position at the nomination deadline) who is making exceptional scientific contributions to cell biology, is developing a strong independ…
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Günter Blobel Early Career Award
This award is given to an outstanding life scientist who has served as an independent investigator for no more than seven years as of the application deadline. It was previously called the Early Career Life Scientist Award but was renamed in 2020 to ho…
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Innovation in Research Award
The ASCB Innovation in Research Award recognizes early and mid-career scientists for their new and innovative research in cell biology. Innovation for this purpose is defined as an accomplishment that has significantly impacted progress in advancing t…
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Innovation in Education Award
This award is given to an individual who has demonstrated innovation in education. Innovation is defined as a novel educational accomplishment that has significantly impacted progress in achieving ASCB’s mission on the basis of work done within 3 years…
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Early to Senior Awards
For members at all career stages
The David Burgess Award for Excellence in Inclusivity
The David Burgess Award for Excellence in Inclusivity recognizes a scientist who has a track record of excellence in research or serves a critical role in fostering cell biology research, and has demonstrated the importance of inclusion and diversity i…
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Mentoring Keynote
The Mentoring Keynote Lecture is given by an individual who exemplifies mentoring through their impact on the training of scientists and scholars who belong to underrepresented groups, particularly racial and ethnic minorities. The recipient is selecte…
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MBoC Paper of the Year
Chosen by MBoC Associate Editors, the first author of the paper judged to be the best of the year, from June to May. Nominators must be ASCB members.
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Senior Awards
For established investigators or tenured faculty
Sandra K. Masur Senior Leadership Award
This award is presented to a scientist at a later career stage (generally full professor or equivalent) whose outstanding scientific achievements are coupled with a record of active leadership in mentoring women and individuals from underrepresented gr…
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Public Service Award
The Society’s honor for national leadership supporting biomedical research is selected by the ASCB Public Policy Committee. The ASCB Public Service Award recognizes outstanding public service in support of biomedical research or advocacy of sound resea…
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E.B. Wilson Medal
The E.B. Wilson Medal is presented to distinguished researchers for their far-reaching contributions to cell biology over a lifetime in science.
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Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education
This award is given to an individual who has demonstrated innovative and sustained contributions to science education, with a priority on the national impact of the nominee’s activities.
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ASCB Fellows
Election as a Fellow of ASCB is an honor bestowed upon ASCB members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance cell biology and/or its applications, and for their service to the Society. Successful nominees will be…
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E.E. Just Lecture
The purposes of this award are to honor early 20th century biologist Ernest Everett Just, who made seminal contributions to cell and developmental biology, and to recognize the outstanding scientific achievements of a U.S. researcher belonging to an hi…
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Keith R. Porter Lecture
This lecture, named in memory of Keith R. Porter, will be presented at Cell Bio 2024–An ASCB|EMBO Meeting by an outstanding and innovative leader at the forefront of cell biology, who is actively contributing fundamental new knowledge to our understan…
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ASCB Grants
Nominees for and recipients of ASCB honorific awards and prizes are expected to exemplify and to continue to exemplify the highest standards of professional conduct. Letters of support should explicitly address whether a nominee's professional conduct over their career embodies the principles and expectations noted in ASCB’s Mission Statement, the Community Code of Conduct, and the Workforce Diversity Statement.