Merton Bernfield Memorial Award

About the Award

Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed.

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The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) established the Merton Bernfield Memorial Award with member donations in memory of Merton Bernfield. The award recognizes an outstanding graduate student or postdoctoral researcher who has excelled in cell biology research.

Award Details

The winner will receive a plaque, $1,000 prize, complimentary registration for the annual Cell Bio 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 demonstrated commitment to ASCB’s vision and values

How to Apply

Candidates may either self-apply or be nominated.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

If nominating someone

1. Letter describing the candidate’s background, contributions, and qualifications for receiving the award, no longer than 2 pages.
2. Letter of support also describing the above, no longer than 2 pages.

If self-applying, or once nominated

1. Narrative statement describing your background, contributions, qualifications for receiving the award, and demonstrated commitment to ASCB’s values, no longer than 2 pages.
2. A letter of support endorsing your application, no longer than 2 pages.
3. CV no longer than 5 pages.
4. Abstract submitted for the 2026 ASCB|EMBO Cell Bio Meeting

Please Note

1. ASCB wants to ensure that the pool of award candidates is as diverse and inclusive as possible. The demographic questions are for internal reporting only and are not viewable by award reviewers. The questions are not mandatory, however we would appreciate your responses so that we can assess our level of inclusivity.
2. As a founder of the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) ASCB does not use journal impact factors or other journal-based metrics in the evaluation process for its awards. ASCB looks at an individual’s research contributions and impact on the field, rather than the prestige of the journals where work is published.

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