ASCB Porter Prizes for Research Excellence
About the Award
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 in a Minisymposium, and attend dinner with the Porter lecturer at the Cell Bio 2023 ASCB|EMBO Meeting. An award of $3,000 for outstanding predoctoral research and $5,000 for outstanding postdoctoral research will be awarded at the conclusion of the meeting.
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
- Candidate’s demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
How to Apply
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS If you are nominating another person please obtain all required documentation from the candidate prior to proceeding.
- A biosketch that follows the NIH (or similar format), no longer than 5 pages.
- A narrative statement of no more than 2 pages that addresses how the candidate’s, achievements have contributed to the advancement of at least 2 of the 5 core elements of the ASCB mission statement, with one of the elements addressing the nature of this award. The statement should be written by the candidate.
- A 1-page essay describing the candidate’s research and indicating how it exemplifies the pioneering spirit of Keith R. Porter’s contributions to cell biology.
- Two letters of support, neither longer than 2 pages.
- Abstract submission to Cell Bio 2023 ASCB|EMBO Meeting
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, the Honorific Code of Conduct and the Workforce Diversity Statement.
As a founder of the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA https://sfdora.org/), the ASCB does not use journal impact factors or other journal-based metrics in the evaluation process for its award candidates. The ASCB looks at an individual’s research contributions and impact on the field, rather than the prestige of the journals where work is published.
Award Winners
- 2023—Kathryn Gunn
- 2023—Michael Skowyra
- 2023—Tatsat Banerjee
- 2022—Saket Bagde (grad student)
- 2022—Ben Larson (postdoc)
- 2021—Christina Marie Termini (postdoc)
- 2021—Katelyn Cook (grad student)
- 2020—Kate Cavanaugh (grad student)
- 2020—Gwendolyn Beacham (grad student)
- 2020—Matthew Akamatsu (postdoc)
- 2019—David Thaller (grad student)
- 2019—Meng-meng Fu (postdoc)
- 2018—Andrew Moore (grad student)
- 2018—Melanie White (postdoc)