LATEST NEWS » Awards & Grants

The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) Education Committee is pleased to announce the 2020 T. H. Huxley award, named in honor of Darwin's very public supporter, which recognizes and promotes the development of high quality evolution education resources. If you have an interesting project or educational activity to share, consider applying for this award. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to apply. 

This award provides funding for an SSE member to present evolution education resources at the National Association of Biology Teachers (http://nabt.org/) annual conference. This year’s NABT conference will be held Nov. 5-8, 2020 in Baltimore, MD. 

Applications are due March 22. Learn more and apply here.

The SSE Gould Prize Committee is pleased to announce Dr. Leslie J. Rissler of the National Science Foundation as the 2020 recipient of the Stephen Jay Gould Prize. Dr. Rissler was selected for her contributions and commitment to the public understanding of evolutionary biology, including founding the Evolutionary Working Group at the University of Alabama, which organized an Evolutionary Studies Minor for undergraduates and the Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution (ALLELE) seminar series for the public. Dr. Rissler also served as the Science Advisor and Executive Co-Producer of the Alabama Public Television program “Speaking Evolution.” As the Gould Prize awardee, Dr. Rissler will present the public outreach lecture at this year’s Evolution meeting in Cleveland, OH, USA in June. Learn more about the Gould Prize here.

Congratulations to the 2020 recipients of the Small Grants for Local and Regional Outreach Promoting the Understanding of Evolutionary Biology!

Rebecca Brewer, Michigan State University; Models for Evolution
Travis Hagey, Mississippi University for Women; Hominid Skull Replicas
Angela Hung, Prairie State College; Darwin Day at Prairie State College
Javier Monzon, Pepperdine University; STEM with Skulls: An Outreach Activity to Promote Children’s Understanding of Evolutionary Science
Barbora Trubenova, Institute of Science and Technology Austria; Correspondence competition in evolutionary biology STEB with a short summer school
Matt Wilkins, Vanderbilt University; Evolution of Female Birdsong Across the Tree of Life
Kristin M. Winchell, Washington University; Sci-Comm and Sci-Art for Urban Evolution 

SSE Council is pleased to announce the recipient of the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Deborah Charlesworth. Dr. Charlesworth has been a key champion for the field of evolutionary biology. Her wide-ranging work has led to crucial insights into some of the most important outstanding evolutionary questions. She has also shown a tireless commitment to mentorship and encouragement of young scientists in evolutionary biology as an exemplary mentor and role model. Furthermore, she has served the evolution community as president of both the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution and the European Society for Evolutionary Biology. Congratulations, Dr. Charlesworth!

Congratulations to the 2019 recipients of the Graduate Research Excellence Grant - Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards! 

View the full list of previous winners here: http://www.evolutionsociety.org/content/society-awards-and-prizes/graduate-research-excellence-grants.html#gregwinners

The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) is pleased to announce the 2020 Graduate Research Excellence Grant (GREG) – R.C. Lewontin Award competition. These awards are to assist student members in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. Only Ph.D. students in their first two years of their programs are eligible. Awards will range from $1,500 - $2500 and approximately twenty awards will be made. Proposals are due February 15, 2020. Learn more here.

SSE is pleased to announce the 2020 Stephen Jay Gould Prize for the Understanding of Evolution. This award recognizes, promotes, and rewards individuals who have increased public understanding of evolutionary biology and its place in modern science. 

The award will include a cash prize of $5,000, and the recipient will present the Public Outreach Seminar at the 2020 Evolution Meeting in Cleveland, OH on June 19-23. 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. Nominees do not need to be members of SSE. Nominations are due January 15. Learn more here.

The Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize is awarded annually to recognize the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding young evolutionary biologist. We consider candidates working on all areas of evolutionary biology, broadly defined. We value diversity, and are seeking a broad and diverse applicant pool from all axes and components of diversity in the evolutionary biology community. Nominees do not need to be members of SSE. The Dobzhansky Prize is accompanied by a check for U.S. $5000 and funds to attend the annual Evolution meeting. Nominations are due January 31. 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. To be eligible for consideration, a manuscript must be based on graduate work of the primary author. The manuscript must have been published in an issue of the journal Evolution in 2019 (Volume 73). Nominees do not need to be members of SSE. The Fisher Prize is accompanied by a check for U.S. $1000 and funds to attend the annual Evolution meeting. Nominations are due January 31. Learn more here.

These grants provide support for local and regional educational outreach activities to take place during 2020. It is our hope that these projects will lead to ongoing outreach collaboration in future years. Preference will be given to new collaborations, but extensions of previous projects that have evidence of success are allowed. Amounts requested may be up to $1000. Proposals are due January 18. Learn more here.

See the SSE Sponsorship Highlight below for an example of a funded Small Grants program.

The American Society of Naturalists, the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the Society of Systematic Biologists announce the call for nominations for the 1st annual ASN/SSE/SSB Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Award. The IDEA Award will be given to a person at any career stage who has strengthened the ecology and evolutionary biology community by promoting inclusiveness and diversity in our fields. The award can also be presented to a group. The recipient will receive a plaque at the annual meeting of ASN/SSB/SSE and a $1000 honorarium.

***Eligibility Note: No contemporary officer, editor, member of diversity committee, or meeting organizer of the three societies is eligible for the award.***

Nominations should be submitted by January 15, 2020. Continue reading for nomination instructions.

SSE is pleased to announce the Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards, our new research grants for advanced PhD students. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. These awards are to assist students in the later stages of their Ph.D. programs. Funds can be used to enhance the scope of dissertation research, such as to conduct additional experiments or field work. Awards will range from $2,000 - $3,500 and approximately ten awards will be made. This award is not limited to students in the United States. Proposals are due September 15.

SSE is pleased to announce the Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards, our new research grants for advanced PhD students. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. These awards are to assist students in the later stages of their Ph.D. programs. Funds can be used to enhance the scope of dissertation research, such as to conduct additional experiments or field work. Awards will range from $2,000 - $3,500 and approximately ten awards will be made. This award is not limited to students in the United States. Proposals are due September 15. Submissions now open!

Congratulations to the 2019 Graduate Research Excellence Grant - R. C. Lewontin Early Award recipients! This award provides research funding for students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs to collect preliminary data or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits.

Context statement: We received 157 GREG-R.C. Lewontin Early Award applications. The evaluation committee, Chaired by VP Tracey Chapman, selected 24 proposals for funding. Based on inferences from given names, 56.7% of Lewontin applicants and 62.5% of the winners are female. The evaluation committee consisted of 6 females and 3 males; 3 reviewers are GSAC members.  

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.