Merton Bernfield Memorial Award

About the Award

This award for postdocs and graduate students was established with member donations in memory of Merton Bernfield.

Award Details

The winner will speak at a Minisymposium at Cell Bio 2022 ASCB|EMBO Meeting and receive paid meeting registration with airfare, hotel, and per diem for 4 days. The winner will also be presented with a plaque and a $1,000 check following the conclusion of the meeting.

Who is Eligible

An outstanding graduate student or postdoctoral fellow (at the time of nomination) who has excelled in research. Nominators and nominees must be ASCB members.

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.
  • 2 letters of support, neither longer than 2 pages.
  • Abstract submission to Cell Bio 2022 ASCB|EMBO Meeting

Applications close June 30. Award winners will be announced on September 1, 2022.

Intent to Apply Deadline:

Deadline: June 30, 2022

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.

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.

Apply or Nominate

All Recent Awardee Photos

Award Winners

  • 2022—Jaye C. Gardiner
  • 2021—Blair Benham-Pyle
  • 2020—Michael Trinh
  • 2019—Veena Padmanaban
  • 2018—Kelsie Eichel
  • 2017—Lawrence Kazak
  • 2016—Kara McKinley
  • 2015—Shigeki Watanabe
  • 2014—Prasanna Satpute
  • 2013—Panteleimon Rompolas
  • 2012—Ting Chen and Gabriel Lander
  • 2011—Dylan Tyler Burnette
  • 2010—Hua Jin
  • 2009—Chad G. Pearson
  • 2008—Kenneth Campellone
  • 2007—Ethan Garner
  • 2006—Lloyd Trotman
  • 2005—Stephanie Gupton
  • 2004—Chun Han
  • 2003—Erik Dent
  • 2002—Christina Hull
  • 2001—Sarah South and James Wohlschlegel