Congratulations to the 15 finalists for the W. D. Hamilton Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation! The finalists will present their research during the Hamilton Award Symposium at Evolution 2019 in Providence, RI, USA on Saturday, June 22 between 11:15 am and 5:30 pm. Don't miss this showcase of outstanding graduate research.
Context statement: We received 109 Hamilton Award applications. The evaluation committee, co-chaired by Katy Heath and Joel McGlothlin, selected 15 finalists. Based on inferences from given names, 62.5% of Hamilton Award applicants and 73.3% of the finalists are female. The evaluation committee consisted of 3 females and 4 males.
Congratulations to the Gould Prize awardee, Dr. Mohamed Noor! Dr. Noor will present the Gould Prize public outreach lecture at this year's Evolution meeting in Providence, RI, USA in June. Read more about Dr. Noor’s outstanding outreach efforts here.
Congratulations to the 2019 Dobzhansky Prize Winner, Dr. Matthew Pennell! Dr. Pennell will present the Dobzhansky Prize talk at this year’s Evolution meeting in Providence, RI, USA in June. Read more about Dr. Pennell’s research here.
Congratulations to the 2019 Fisher Prize winner, Dr. Matthew Zuellig for his paper, “A two‐locus hybrid incompatibility is widespread, polymorphic, and active in natural populations of Mimulus” Evolution (2018) 72: 2394-2405. Read more about his elegant study here.
This program sends undergraduate students to the annual Evolution meeting to (i) present a poster, (ii) receive mentoring from graduate students, postdocs, and faculty, and (iii) participate in a career-oriented 'Undergraduate Futures in Evolutionary Biology' panel and discussion. The program is funded by SSE and the BEACON Center for Evolution in Action. Each selected awardee receives conference registration, round-trip airfare, dorm accommodations (double occupancy), a $200 meal stipend, and a ticket to the Super Social. Deadline March 31. Learn more here.
Are you a current or recent graduate student presenting a talk based on your graduate work at Evolution 2019? Considering applying for the W.D. Hamilton Award during meeting registration. 15 finalists will be selected to present during the day-long Hamilton Symposium on Saturday, June 22. Finalists receive a $500 travel stipend, and the best talk will receive the W.D. Hamilton Award and $1000. Register by April 15 if you wish to apply. Learn more about the award here.
The GREG – R.C. Lewontin Early Awards are to assist students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs by enabling them to collect preliminary data (to pursue additional sources of support) or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits (e.g. by visiting additional field sites, or working at other labs). Awards will be made up to $2500. Proposals are due February 15. Learn more and apply here.
The SSE Education and Outreach Committee is pleased to announce the T. H. Huxley award, which recognizes and promotes the development of high quality evolution education resources. This award provides funding for an SSE member to present evolution education resources at the National Association of Biology Teachers annual conference. If you have an interesting project or educational activity to share, consider applying for this award. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are especially encouraged to apply. Learn more here and apply by March 24.
Applications for international travel stipends are now open. These stipends are for students and young scientists to attend the Evolution meeting in Providence, Rhode Island on June 21-25, 2019. Awards may alternatively be used to attend the ESEB meeting in Turku, Finland from August 19-24, 2019. Learn more and apply here by March 31.
Applications for the SSE International Committee grants for the co-sponsorship of symposia organized by non-US based evolution societies are due March 31. The goal of these awards is to foster communication between scientists from different countries by stimulating scientific dialogue through co-sponsored symposia. Evolution societies with limited financial resources will have the opportunity to invite speakers (SSE members) to their meeting. This will provide growth opportunities for both societies, since it will not only benefit the hosting society but also create the opportunities for new collaborations for the invited speakers. Learn more here.
Applications for the SSE International Committee grants for international events are due March 31. These events are aimed at furthering the purpose of the Evolution Society by fostering international collaborations amongst evolution-oriented societies and scientists. Eligible events would include specialized symposia, workshops, and short courses in any aspect of evolutionary biology. The events could be hosted either in the US or abroad, and preference should be given to events that specifically include participants from countries other than the USA. Learn more here.
The GREG – R.C. Lewontin Early Awards are to assist students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs by enabling them to collect preliminary data (to pursue additional sources of support) or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits (e.g. by visiting additional field sites, or working at other labs). Awards will be made up to $2500. Proposals will be due February 15. Learn more and apply here.
Many award deadlines are quickly approaching. Mark your calendars!
Stephen Jay Gould Prize: January 15
Evolution 2019 Travel Awards for Brazilian Researchers: January 15
Small Grants Program for Local and Regional Outreach: January 18
Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize: January 31
R. A. Fisher Prize: January 31
Graduate Research Excellence Grant - R.C. Lewontin Early Award: February 15
The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) Council invites proposals for grants up to $3,000 to help support Society-sponsored Early-career Vocational Opportunities (EVO) Workshops. There are no requirements for topic or format of the workshop, as long as it is interactive and its content provides foundational skills that are appropriate for early-career SSE members in the areas of conceptual understanding, data collection, data analysis, or professional development. The Workshop Selection Committee will select proposals on a rolling basis. Learn more about the grants here.
The GREG – R.C. Lewontin Early Awards are to assist students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs by enabling them to collect preliminary data (to pursue additional sources of support) or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits (e.g. by visiting additional field sites, or working at other labs). Awards will be made up to $2500. Proposals will be due February 15. Learn more and apply here.
The annual Stephen Jay Gould Prize recognizes individuals who have increased public understanding of evolutionary biology and its place in modern science. The recipient will receive $5,000 USD and will present the Public Outreach Seminar at Evolution 2019 in Providence, RI. The awardee should be a leader in evolutionary thought and in public outreach who can deliver an inspiring lecture for both professionals and the broader public. Nominations are due January 15. Learn more here.
The R. A. Fisher Prize is awarded annually for an outstanding Ph.D. dissertation paper published in the journal Evolution during a given calendar year. The award comes with a $1000 USD honorarium. Nominations are due January 31. Learn more here.
Nominations/applications are now open for the Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize, awarded annually to recognize the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding young evolutionary biologist. The recipient will receive $5000 USD and present their research at Evolution 2019 in Providence, RI. Nominations are due January 31. Learn more here.
The SSE Education and Outreach Committee is pleased to announce a call for proposals from SSE members for support for local and regional educational outreach activities to take place during 2019. It is our hope that these projects will lead to ongoing outreach collaboration in future years. Examples of past outreach activities have included public lectures, exhibits, student competitions, and professional development events for teachers. Proposals will be accepted until January 18. Learn more here.
Did you know that when you review for Evolution, you have the option to do so jointly with one of your post-docs or graduate students? In fact, it’s encouraged! Joint reviews with trainees can make for better reviews and help train the next generation of researchers and peer-reviewers. Thank you to all who already do this!
This year the deadlines for the new Graduate Research Excellence Grants (GREG) have shifted. The R.C. Lewontin Early Awards (for students in the first two years of their PhD) will be announced in November with proposals due in mid-February. The Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards (for PhD candidates) will be announced in June 2019 with proposals due in September. Learn more about these grants and how to apply here.
This year, the deadlines for the new Graduate Research Excellence Grants (GREG) have shifted. The R.C. Lewontin Early Awards (for students in the first two years of their PhD) will be announced in November 2018 with proposals due in mid-February. The Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards (for PhD candidates) will be announced in June 2019 with proposals due in September. Learn more about these grants and how to apply here.
Congratulations to this year’s Hamilton Award winner, Christopher Pull from Royal Holloway University of London! Chris gave an outstanding talk on how ants control infections in colonies. The runners-up are Debora Goedert from Dartmouth College and Karin van der Burg from Cornell University. We were very impressed with all of the talks given by Hamilton Finalists at the Evolution 2018 meeting, and were pleased to be able to offer $500 travel stipends to all of the finalists. Learn more about the Hamilton Awards here.
Congratulations to the 2018 Dobzhansky Prize winner, Amanda Kyle Gibson! Dr. Gibson is a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University studying the evolution and ecology of infectious diseases. The Dobzhansky Prize is awarded annually by the Society for the Study of Evolution to recognize the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding young evolutionary biologist. Learn more about the prize here.