The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) recognizes and supports scientists at various career stages through a range of awards, honors, and grants that celebrate scientific achievement, education, mentoring, service, and contributions to the cell biology community.
ASCB also offers travel and childcare grants to selected applicants attending the annual Cell Bio meeting.
Note: ASCB is unable to consider two people being nominated for the same award together. All awards are given only to one individual.
ASCB Awards
The following links contain information about the eligibility, application, and deadline for each award.
Trainee Awards
Open to graduate students and postdocs beginning their careers
ASCB Porter Prizes for Research Excellence
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Nominate a Postdoc or Grad Student Postdoc Self Nomination Grad Student Self Nomination The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) annually recognizes one graduate student and one postdocto…
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Merton Bernfield Memorial Award
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) established the Merton Bernfield Memorial Award with member donations in memory of Merton Bernfield. The…
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Early and Mid-Career Awards
For members who have been independent investigators for up to 15 years
Award for Excellence in Research by a Historically Excluded Person (HEP)
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents this award for excellence in research to an early- or mid-career ASCB member who self-identifie…
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WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the WICB Junior Award for Excellence in Research to a woman or non-binary scientist in the earl…
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Günter Blobel Early Career Award
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Günter Blobel Early Career Award to an outstanding life scientist who has served as an inde…
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Innovation in Research Award
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the ASCB Innovation in Research Award to recognize early- and mid-career scientists for new and…
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Innovation in Education Award
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Innovation in Education Award to an individual who has demonstrated innovation in education…
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Early to Senior Awards
For members at all career stages
Scholarship for Transformative Change Keynote
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Scholarship for Transformative Change Keynote Lecture to a researcher whose work explores h…
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David Burgess Award for Excellence in Inclusivity
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the David Burgess Award for Excellence in Inclusivity to recognize a scientist with a track record of…
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Mentoring Keynote
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Mentoring Keynote Lecture to an individual who exemplifies excellence in mentoring through…
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MBoC Paper of the Year
The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) recognizes outstanding research published in its peer-reviewed journal, Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC), through the MBoC Paper of the Year Award. MBoC Associate Editors select the winning paper or pape…
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Senior Awards
For established investigators or tenured faculty
Sandra K. Masur Senior Leadership Award
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Sandra K. Masur Senior Leadership Award to a scientist at a later career stage (generally f…
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Public Service Award
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Public Service Award to recognize outstanding national leadership and public service in sup…
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E.B. Wilson Medal
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the E.B. Wilson Medal to distinguished researchers for their significant and far-reaching contr…
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Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education to an individual who has demonstrat…
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ASCB Fellows
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards will be accepted between May 15 and June 15. Election as a Fellow of ASCB is an honor bestowed upon ASCB members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance cell biology a…
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E.E. Just Lecture
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the E.E. Just Award to honor early 20th-century biologist Ernest Everett Just, who made seminal contri…
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Keith R. Porter Lecture
Nominations/Applications for all 2026 awards are now closed. Self-Nominate Nominate a Colleague The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presents the Keith R. Porter Lecture at the annual Cell Bio meeting in memory of Keith R. Porter. The le…
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ASCB Grants
Nominees for and recipients of American Society for Cell Biology (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.