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 receive a $1,000 stipend, complimentary registration for the Cell Bio 2024 ASCB|EMBO Meeting, and an invitation to speak at 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.

Selection Criteria

  • Candidate’s contributions to research in the field of cell biology.
  • Candidate’s contributions to achieving additional areas of the ASCB mission
  • Candidate’s demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

How to Apply

2024 award applications will be accepted April 15 through May 15. 

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.
  • Two letters of support, neither longer than 2 pages.
  • Abstract submission to Cell Bio 2024 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.

Apply or Nominate

All Recent Awardee Photos

Award Winners

  • 2023—Coral Zhou
  • 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