LATEST NEWS » Awards & Grants

The SSE Education and Outreach Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 T. H. Huxley Award, Dr. Erin L. McCullough and Ms. Lauren Verdeflor and colleagues Alaina Weinsztok, Jason R. Wiles, and Steve Dorus for their activity, "Exploratory activities for understanding evolutionary relationships depicted by phylogenetic trees: united but diverse." In the activity, students use complementary phenotypic and molecular data to explore how to build phylogenetic trees and interpret the evolutionary relationships that they represent. Read more here.

The SSE Council is in the process of renaming what has previously been called the R. A. Fisher Prize. We sincerely thank the many members of our community who have made their thoughts known on this issue. This award was originally named to highlight Fisher’s foundational contributions to evolutionary biology. However, we realize that we cannot, in recognizing and honoring these contributions, isolate them from his racist views and promotion of eugenics--which were relentless, harmful, and unsupported by scientific evidence. We further recognize and deeply regret that graduate students, who could have been recipients of this award, may have hesitated to apply given the connotations. For this, we are truly sorry.

The idea of changing the name has been discussed amongst SSE Councils in the past. After hearing from many in our community and further discussion among SSE leadership, the Council has voted to change this name. A new name will be announced once it is determined, and a fuller explanation and history of this award will be posted on this page.

In the meantime, we are continuing to work on broader issues concerning diversity and representation in our membership, our grant and prize awardees, and leadership. Learn more on the page for our Diversity Committee, which provides strong guidance on these initiatives, and in a 2019 blog post by Diversity Committee representatives. 

Only 10 days left to apply for SSE funding for your international symposium, workshop, or short course! This year the International Committee awards can be used for virtual events too. Submit your application by June 1! 

Congratulations to the 2020 Dobzhansky Prize Winner, Dr. Jacqueline Sztepanacz! Dr. Sztepanacz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto and an Invited Fellow at the Centre for Advanced Studies at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The Dobzhansky Prize recognizes the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding young evolutionary biologist. The prize is accompanied by a check for U.S. $5000, and the recipient is invited to speak at the annual Evolution meeting.

The 2021 annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) is planned for June 25–29, 2021 at the Albuquerque Convention Center in NM USA. The SSE Council invites proposals for one sponsored symposium at the meeting. Sub-fields or taxonomic groups that have been underrepresented in past symposia will be considered preferentially. Previous sponsored symposia are listed on the SSE website along with detailed instructions for preparing proposals.

In addition to novelty, we seek a symposium topic that will help SSE celebrate its 75^th birthday in 2021!

Congratulations to Dr. Dorota Paczesniak, recipient of the 2020 Fisher Prize for her paper, “Parasite resistance predicts fitness better than fecundity in a natural population of the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum.” The R. A. Fisher Prize is awarded annually by the Society for the Study of Evolution for an outstanding Ph.D. dissertation paper published in an issue of the journal Evolution during a given calendar year. The award comes with a $1000 honorarium.

In light of the uncertainties around event planning for the next few months, the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) International Committee has extended the deadline for two of their grants:

Co-sponsorship of symposia organized by non-US evolution societies
The goal of this award is to foster communication between scientists from different countries by stimulating scientific dialogue through co-sponsored symposia. Evolution societies with limited financial resources will have the opportunity to invite speakers who are SSE members to their meeting. This will provide growth opportunities for both societies, since it will not only benefit the hosting society but also create opportunities for new collaborations for the invited speakers.

NEW DEADLINE: JUNE 1, 2020

Evolution International Events Award
These events are aimed at furthering the purpose of SSE by fostering international collaborations amongst evolution oriented societies and scientists. Eligible events would include specialized symposia, workshops and short courses in any aspect of evolutionary biology. The events could be hosted either in the US or abroad and preference should be given to events that specifically include participants from countries other than the USA.

NEW DEADLINE: JUNE 1, 2020

The deadline to submit a nomination for the SSE Lifetime Achievement Award has been extended to April 26. SSE values the contributions of diverse researchers and encourages nominators to consider all potential mentors and colleagues. Self-nominations are welcome. 

The Society for the Study of Evolution is pleased to announce the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award for evolutionary biologists. The award recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to the study of evolution, who have demonstrated outstanding mentorship of trainees, and/or who have provided noteworthy service to the evolution community.  The awardee will be chosen this summer and will be presented at the 2021 Evolution meeting in Albuquerque, NM. Nominations are due April 1, 2020. 

SSE, the American Society of Naturalists (ASN), and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB) are pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Award, Dr. Scott Edwards and Dr. Richard Kliman. Dr. Edwards and Dr. Kliman were selected for their steadfast commitment to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion of underrepresented minorities in evolutionary biology. In 2001, they started the Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution (UDE) program, which still provides funding and mentorship for students to attend the annual Evolution meeting. Since its inception, nearly 250 US and international undergraduates have had the opportunity to participate. Thank you to Dr. Edwards and Dr. Kliman for your commitment and contributions to the community!

The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) Education Committee is pleased to announce the 2020 T. H. Huxley award, named in honor of Darwin's very public supporter, which recognizes and promotes the development of high quality evolution education resources. If you have an interesting project or educational activity to share, consider applying for this award. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to apply. 

This award provides funding for an SSE member to present evolution education resources at the National Association of Biology Teachers (http://nabt.org/) annual conference. This year’s NABT conference will be held Nov. 5-8, 2020 in Baltimore, MD. 

Applications are due March 22. Learn more and apply here.

The SSE Gould Prize Committee is pleased to announce Dr. Leslie J. Rissler of the National Science Foundation as the 2020 recipient of the Stephen Jay Gould Prize. Dr. Rissler was selected for her contributions and commitment to the public understanding of evolutionary biology, including founding the Evolutionary Working Group at the University of Alabama, which organized an Evolutionary Studies Minor for undergraduates and the Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution (ALLELE) seminar series for the public. Dr. Rissler also served as the Science Advisor and Executive Co-Producer of the Alabama Public Television program “Speaking Evolution.” As the Gould Prize awardee, Dr. Rissler will present the public outreach lecture at this year’s Evolution meeting in Cleveland, OH, USA in June. Learn more about the Gould Prize here.

Congratulations to the 2020 recipients of the Small Grants for Local and Regional Outreach Promoting the Understanding of Evolutionary Biology!

Rebecca Brewer, Michigan State University; Models for Evolution
Travis Hagey, Mississippi University for Women; Hominid Skull Replicas
Angela Hung, Prairie State College; Darwin Day at Prairie State College
Javier Monzon, Pepperdine University; STEM with Skulls: An Outreach Activity to Promote Children’s Understanding of Evolutionary Science
Barbora Trubenova, Institute of Science and Technology Austria; Correspondence competition in evolutionary biology STEB with a short summer school
Matt Wilkins, Vanderbilt University; Evolution of Female Birdsong Across the Tree of Life
Kristin M. Winchell, Washington University; Sci-Comm and Sci-Art for Urban Evolution 

SSE Council is pleased to announce the recipient of the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Deborah Charlesworth. Dr. Charlesworth has been a key champion for the field of evolutionary biology. Her wide-ranging work has led to crucial insights into some of the most important outstanding evolutionary questions. She has also shown a tireless commitment to mentorship and encouragement of young scientists in evolutionary biology as an exemplary mentor and role model. Furthermore, she has served the evolution community as president of both the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution and the European Society for Evolutionary Biology. Congratulations, Dr. Charlesworth!

Congratulations to the 2019 recipients of the Graduate Research Excellence Grant - Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards! 

View the full list of previous winners here: http://www.evolutionsociety.org/content/society-awards-and-prizes/graduate-research-excellence-grants.html#gregwinners

The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) is pleased to announce the 2020 Graduate Research Excellence Grant (GREG) – R.C. Lewontin Award competition. These awards are to assist student members in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. Only Ph.D. students in their first two years of their programs are eligible. Awards will range from $1,500 - $2500 and approximately twenty awards will be made. Proposals are due February 15, 2020. Learn more here.

SSE is pleased to announce the 2020 Stephen Jay Gould Prize for the Understanding of Evolution. This award recognizes, promotes, and rewards individuals who have increased public understanding of evolutionary biology and its place in modern science. 

The award will include a cash prize of $5,000, and the recipient will present the Public Outreach Seminar at the 2020 Evolution Meeting in Cleveland, OH on June 19-23. The awardee should be a leader in evolutionary thought and in public outreach who can deliver an inspiring lecture for both professionals and the broader public. Nominees do not need to be members of SSE. Nominations are due January 15. Learn more here.

The Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize is awarded annually to recognize the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding young evolutionary biologist. We consider candidates working on all areas of evolutionary biology, broadly defined. We value diversity, and are seeking a broad and diverse applicant pool from all axes and components of diversity in the evolutionary biology community. Nominees do not need to be members of SSE. The Dobzhansky Prize is accompanied by a check for U.S. $5000 and funds to attend the annual Evolution meeting. Nominations are due January 31. Learn more here.

The R. A. Fisher Prize is awarded annually for an outstanding Ph.D. dissertation paper published in the journal Evolution during a given calendar year. To be eligible for consideration, a manuscript must be based on graduate work of the primary author. The manuscript must have been published in an issue of the journal Evolution in 2019 (Volume 73). Nominees do not need to be members of SSE. The Fisher Prize is accompanied by a check for U.S. $1000 and funds to attend the annual Evolution meeting. Nominations are due January 31. Learn more here.

These grants provide support for local and regional educational outreach activities to take place during 2020. It is our hope that these projects will lead to ongoing outreach collaboration in future years. Preference will be given to new collaborations, but extensions of previous projects that have evidence of success are allowed. Amounts requested may be up to $1000. Proposals are due January 18. Learn more here.

See the SSE Sponsorship Highlight below for an example of a funded Small Grants program.

The American Society of Naturalists, the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the Society of Systematic Biologists announce the call for nominations for the 1st annual ASN/SSE/SSB Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Award. The IDEA Award will be given to a person at any career stage who has strengthened the ecology and evolutionary biology community by promoting inclusiveness and diversity in our fields. The award can also be presented to a group. The recipient will receive a plaque at the annual meeting of ASN/SSB/SSE and a $1000 honorarium.

***Eligibility Note: No contemporary officer, editor, member of diversity committee, or meeting organizer of the three societies is eligible for the award.***

Nominations should be submitted by January 15, 2020. Continue reading for nomination instructions.

SSE is pleased to announce the Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards, our new research grants for advanced PhD students. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. These awards are to assist students in the later stages of their Ph.D. programs. Funds can be used to enhance the scope of dissertation research, such as to conduct additional experiments or field work. Awards will range from $2,000 - $3,500 and approximately ten awards will be made. This award is not limited to students in the United States. Proposals are due September 15.

SSE is pleased to announce the Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards, our new research grants for advanced PhD students. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. These awards are to assist students in the later stages of their Ph.D. programs. Funds can be used to enhance the scope of dissertation research, such as to conduct additional experiments or field work. Awards will range from $2,000 - $3,500 and approximately ten awards will be made. This award is not limited to students in the United States. Proposals are due September 15. Submissions now open!

Congratulations to the 2019 Graduate Research Excellence Grant - R. C. Lewontin Early Award recipients! This award provides research funding for students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs to collect preliminary data or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits.

Context statement: We received 157 GREG-R.C. Lewontin Early Award applications. The evaluation committee, Chaired by VP Tracey Chapman, selected 24 proposals for funding. Based on inferences from given names, 56.7% of Lewontin applicants and 62.5% of the winners are female. The evaluation committee consisted of 6 females and 3 males; 3 reviewers are GSAC members.  

Congratulations to the 15 finalists for the W. D. Hamilton Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation! The finalists will present their research during the Hamilton Award Symposium at Evolution 2019 in Providence, RI, USA on Saturday, June 22 between 11:15 am and 5:30 pm. Don't miss this showcase of outstanding graduate research.

Context statement: We received 109 Hamilton Award applications. The evaluation committee, co-chaired by Katy Heath and Joel McGlothlin, selected 15 finalists. Based on inferences from given names, 62.5% of Hamilton Award applicants and 73.3% of the finalists are female. The evaluation committee consisted of 3 females and 4 males.