66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference
A variety of awards and grants from GSA and other organizations help recognize the outstanding achievements of community members, offset conference travel costs, and support parents and caregivers.
Nominations are due by December 13, 2024.
This award is presented each year to outstanding recent graduates who have completed a PhD in an area of Drosophila research. The recipient presents the Larry Sandler Memorial Lecture at the opening session of the Annual Drosophila Research Conference.
About the Larry Sandler Award
The Larry Sandler Award was established in 1988 by the colleagues, friends, and students of Dr. Larry Sandler after his untimely death in 1987. The award serves to honor Dr. Sandler for his many contributions to Drosophila genetics and his exceptional dedication to the training of Drosophila biologists.
Eligibility
Any student completing a PhD in an area of Drosophila research between July 2023 and December 2024 is eligible. Students may be nominated by their thesis advisor, department chair, or supervisory committee member.
Nomination Process
All nominations must include:
The thesis abstract should be 1 to 2 pages and must omit journal names and institution names. Nominees will be evaluated on abstract attributes including identifying an important scientific problem, their approach to tackling the scientific problem, and the anticipated impact to the community.
Nominees will be evaluated on CV attributes including completed research works (e.g., research publications and preprints), other forms of scholarly contributions (e.g., editorials, commentary, reviews), and contributions to the scientific community and/or outreach activities.
Nomination site will open August 1 and close on December 13, 2024
Past Recipients
| Sherzod Tokamov, 2024 | Elissa Hallem, 2005 |
| James O’Connor, 2023 | Sean McGuire, 2004 |
| Lianna Wat, 2022 | Sinisa Urban, 2003 |
| Ching-Ho Chang, 2021 | Matthew C. Gibson, 2002 |
| Balint Kacsoh, 2020 | James Wilhelm, 2001 |
| Laura Fairbanks Seeholzer, 2019 | Bin Chen, 2000 |
| Lucy Liu, 2018 | Terence Murphy, 1999 |
| Danny E. Miller, 2017 | Nir Hacohen, 1998 |
| Alejandra Figueroa-Clarevega, 2016 | Abby Dernburg, 1997 |
| Zhao Zhang, 2015 | Chaoyong Ma, 1996 |
| Ruei-Jiun Hung, 2014 | David Begun, 1995 |
| Weizhe Hong, 2013 | Kendal Broadie, 1994 |
| Stephanie Turner Chen, 2012 | David Schneider, 1993 |
| Daniel Babcock, 2011 | Doug Kellogg, 1992 |
| Leonardo Koerich, 2010 | Maurice Kernan, 1991 |
| Timothy T. Weil, 2009 | Michael Dickinson, 1990 |
| Adam A. L. Friedman, 2008 | Kate Harding, 1989 |
| Yu-Chiun Wang, 2007 | Bruce Edgar, 1988 |
| Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos, 2006 |
Submissions are due by January 31, 2025
The Drosophila Image Award recognizes compelling images that communicate important findings in Drosophila research. Any image from a paper that has been accepted for publication in the calendar year preceding the Annual Drosophila Research Conference is eligible and can be submitted by the researcher who generated it.
The award is given to the most striking image and video that clearly conveys an important biological result.
The Fly Board Drosophila Community Service Award is now open. Nominations are due by January 16, 2025.
A major goal of this award is to raise awareness within the Drosophila community about the depth and diversity of efforts supporting its success. The selection committee is encouraged to recognize colleagues who might not have been selected for the GSA Awards. Any member of the Drosophila research community is eligible, including professionals not holding traditional tenure-track positions. A team or small group may be recognized
Anyone may make a nomination by submitting a letter describing the contributions of the nominee(s), including the significance and impact of the work on the community. Please submit your nomination by January 16, 2025, by emailing drosophilaserviceaward@gmail.com.
Awards will be given to the best poster presentations at the Annual Drosophila Research Conference by GSA undergraduate and graduate student members. Judges take both scientific merit and visual clarity of presentation into account. You must be the first and presenting author on the abstract to be eligible for an award. You must also be a GSA student member at the time you submit your abstract and must check the Poster Awards option during abstract submission to enter the competition.
The following prizes will be awarded:
Award recipients will be announced during the conference. All candidates must participate in the live Q&A for their poster to be eligible for an award. Postdocs who are GSA members can indicate if they would like to help with judging during registration.
See past Poster Award recipients >>
See 2024 Poster Award recipients presented at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 >>
The application that is currently open is for conferences occurring July 1 to December 31. If you want to apply to receive funding for Dros 2025, you must apply during the Fall Cycle which will run from August 20 through September 18, 2024. Applications are due by September 18, 2024. The DeLill Nasser Award supports scientists studying genetics who are GSA members in their graduate or postdoctoral career stages by funding participation in conferences and laboratory courses.
If you are not yet a member, after joining GSA, you will be able to apply after just 20 minutes.
Applications are due by September 18, 2024.
The Victoria Finnerty Undergraduate Travel Award supports registration costs for undergraduate GSA members who will present research at the Annual Drosophila Research Conference.
If you are not yet a member, after joining GSA, you will be able to apply after just 20 minutes.
Applications will open August 1 and close on September 18, 2024
As a FASEB member Society, GSA can offer its members the opportunity to apply for additional resources:
