Overview
The Hugo Bellen and Catherine Tasnier Drosophila Neurogenetics Lecture recognizes a postdoctoral fellow or assistant professor for their outstanding achievements in the field of genetics as applied to neuroscience in Drosophila, to improve our understanding of how neurons develop, function, connect, and respond to stimuli to control behavior.
Designed to recognize and support early career scientists and early career faculty members of the Drosophila community, the award covers registration and travel costs for the Annual Drosophila Research Conference where the recipient will present and includes a cash prize of $5,000.
Nomination Process
Nominees and nominators must be a GSA member. Self-nominations are accepted. Nominations must include:
- Nominee name and contact information
- Nominator name and contact information (if different from the nominee)
- Abstract or one-page summary: Must include details on the significance and innovation of the nominee’s work as it relates to neurobiology in the field of Drosophila research (450 words or fewer)
- Collaborations: Include a brief description of the nominee’s collaborations to clarify the nominee’s role in individual projects (250 words or fewer)
- NIH-style biosketch (five pages or fewer)
- Lived-experience statement: Nominees should provide an overview of their career path and scientific philosophy (250 words or fewer) and are encouraged to describe their particular approaches to research, mentoring, teaching, and equity, as appropriate, and are welcome to include information about barriers they have faced and/or overcome.
- Award-specific questionnaire
- Demographic survey (optional): Nominees will be offered the opportunity to provide demographic information and are strongly encouraged to respond. Demographic information will be kept confidential; it will not be provided to the committee and will not affect the committee’s decision-making process, but will instead help GSA track progress on diversity and inclusion goals over time
- Two letters of recommendation
Eligibility
The nominee must be a postdoctoral fellow or assistant professor, and a GSA member. Outstanding achievement(s) in Drosophila genetics relating to neurobiology may include:
- The development of genetics tools to study the fly nervous system
- The study of development of the nervous system
- The study of behavior, neurophysiology, and neural networks
- Studies that focus on the function of specific genes required in the nervous system
- The study of orthologues of human genes that are required in the nervous system
- The study of genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases
- Genetics tools for imaging
- New technologies that advance our understanding of neurons, networks, behavior, etc.
Important Dates
The nomination process for the 2025 awardees will open September 17, 2024. Nominations are due December 2, 2024.