The RNA Society / Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Distinguished Research Mentor Award

The RNA Society / Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Distinguished Research Mentor Award is supported by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (CSHLP), a long-time partner of the RNA Society and publisher of RNA, the official journal of the Society. This award was established in 2021 to recognize outstanding mentorship by full members of our society in all its forms. It aims to highlight the importance of fostering the academic and professional development of other scientists and mentoring will be broadly considered to include any activity that contributes to the sustained vibrancy and growth of the RNA scientific community. This award is open to all current and Full Members of the RNA Society; please note that graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are not eligible for this award.

Applicants must be a current and Full member of the RNA Society to apply (click here to become a member).

Applications for The RNA Society / Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Distinguished Research Mentor Award must include the following material:

• Applicant’s current CV
• A 1-page Summary of applicant’s mentoring activities and accomplishments that includes a short (150 words or less) statement of the applicant’s mentoring philosophy. 
• Letters of Support from a maximum of three people with direct knowledge of the applicants mentoring excellence. Only one of the letters may come from a current or past member of the applicant’s lab/research group. The letters should either summarize the applicant's mentorship approach and impact or briefly describe (in 500 words or less) one particularly meaningful mentorship experience with the applicant. Letters of Support must be submitted electronically via the link provided on the online application site by the application deadline.

Click here to apply online 

Judging Procedures:
Applications will be evaluated by the RNA Society Awards Committee and judged based on the applicant’s cumulative contribution and impact to mentoring in RNA research. The RNA Society is committed to advancing diversity, equality and inclusion and will not evaluate applications based on age, race, gender, religion, disability, sexuality or socio-economic status. One applicant will be selected to receive this award category per year. 

Applications for this award will be considered for three consecutive years. Thus applications received in 2024 that are not successful will be carried forward to be considered again in 2025 and 2026. The applicant will be given the opportunity to update the application, but an update will not be required.

Prize:
The winner each year will be awarded a prize with an estimated value of $5,000 that includes complementary registration to the RNA Society Annual Meeting and reimbursement for travel and accommodations to attend this meeting. Winners will also receive a cash prize of $500, an engraved commemorative plaque, and a complementary RNA Society membership for the year of their award (which includes a personal subscription to RNA). Winners will be announced and recognized on the RNA Society website, through social media channels, and during the RNA Society Annual Meeting. 

Deadline:
Completed applications (including Letters of Support) must be received by October 1, 2024 in order to be considered (please note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure Letters of Support are submitted by the deadline date). Incomplete or late applications will not be evaluated.

Further information 
Email [email protected] for any questions about this award

Previous Winners:
Susan Gerbi (2022), Doug Turner (2023), Phil Zamore (2024)