Award for Education in Neuroscience

The Award for Education in Neuroscience recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to neuroscience education and training, typically at the undergraduate/graduate level. 

Recipients receive complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting.

For more information, please review the Awards and Funding FAQs.

Nomination Criteria & Materials

Nomination Criteria:

• Self-nomination is not permitted.
• Nominees do not need to be SfN members.
• Nominations must be made or endorsed by an SfN member.
• No person may nominate more than one candidate.
• Current SfN officers and councilors are ineligible for nomination.
• Due to potential conflicts of interest, members of the selection committee may not be the nominees, and they cannot serve as nominators nor write letters of recommendation for this prize.

Nomination materials include the following:

• One nomination letter
• Maximum of two optional letters of recommendation (one letter must summarize the nominee's contributions to education and training)
• Current CV
• One optional supporting document in PDF format submitted by the nominee detailing their contributions to neuroscience education (example: course syllabus, course materials, brochure)

Eligibility

Nominees must have notable contributions to educating and training others about neuroscience. If your nominee’s activities are better described as “outreach” or are focused at the high-school (or other) levels, please consider nominating them for the Next Generation Award. If you are unsure, please nominate them for both awards; the committees will decide which category fits them best.

If your nominee is a co-founder/ co-author of the central activity/textbook that you’re nominating them for, please consider nominating the entire team. Nominating only one individual is possible, but should be accompanied by a statement of why they deserve more of the credit than the other partners in the activity.

Past Awardees

• 2021: Gillian Hue, PhD, and Arshad Khan, PhD
• 2020: Yves De Koninck, PhD, and Liqun Luo, PhD
• 2019: Sabine Kastner, MD, PhD, and Robert T. Knight, MD
• 2018: Erik Herzog, PhD and Gönül Peker, PhD
• 2017: Ronald Calabrese, PhD and Randy Nelson, PhD
• 2016: John M. Bekkers, PhD and Bruce R. Johnson, PhD
• 2015: William B. Kristan Jr., PhD
• 2014: Eve Marder, PhD and Richard Olivo, PhD
• 2013: Keith A. Trujillo, PhD
• 2012: Sharon L. Juliano, PhD and Osvaldo D. Uchitel, MD, PhD
• 2011: Julio Ramirez, PhD
• 2010: John Nicholls, MD
• 2009: Thomas M. Jessell, PhD, Eric R. Kandel, MD, and James H. Schwartz, MD, PhD
• 2008: Dale Purves, MD
• 2007: John H. Byrne, PhD
• 2006: Donald Kennedy, PhD
• 2005: Frankie Trull
• 2004: Ronald R. Hoy, PhD
• 2003: Joe L. Martinez, Jr., PhD, and James Townsel, PhD
• 2002: Eric Chudler, PhD
• 2001: Edwin J. Furshpan, PhD, Edward A. Kravitz, PhD, and David D. Potter, PhD
• 2000: Neal Miller, PhD
• 1999: Michael Zigmond, PhD
• 1998: Gordon Shepherd, MD, DPhil
• 1997: Nancy Wexler, PhD
• 1996: Eugene Streicher, PhD
• 1995: W. Maxwell Cowan, MD, PhD
• 1994: Floyd E. Bloom, MD
• 1993: Walle J. H. Nauta, MD, PhD
• 1992: Ellen Grass
• 1991: Oliver W. Sacks, MD