Next Generation Award

Benjamin Rein, PhD (center), of Stanford University and Erin Purvis (right) of the University of Pennsylvania were awarded the Next Generation Award in 2023.

The Next Generation Award recognizes SfN chapter members who have made outstanding contributions to public communication, outreach, and education about neuroscience through activities such as classroom engagement, social media campaigns, etc, typically at the high school level or below.

Recipients receive a $750 travel award to help defray the cost of attending SfN’s annual meeting and a $300 honorarium, plus complimentary registration. The recipient's chapter receives a $2,000 chapter grant to be used to continue the chapter's outreach efforts in the following year. The SfN president presents the awards at a lecture at the SfN annual meeting. When awarded to a group at the pre/postdoctoral level, each individual receives a $300 honorarium and the chapter should either appoint one person to receive the $750 travel award or determine how to split it among the members.

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

Nomination Criteria & Materials

Nomination Criteria:

• Nominations must be made by an officer of the local SfN chapter (e.g. the chapter representative).
• Nominees do not need to be an SfN member.
• Each chapter may only submit one nomination per category per year.
• 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 these awards. 

Nomination materials include the following:

• In the case of a single nominee:
• One nomination letter submitted by the chapter representative
• Current CV
• In the case of a group of individuals (pre/postdoctoral award only):
• One nomination letter submitted by the chapter representative clearly describing the distinct roles of each individual in the group activity
• Current CV for each individual
• Nominator and nominee must submit these required forms:
• Pre or Postdoctoral/Junior Faculty Nominator Information (PDF)
• Pre or Postdoctoral/Junior Faculty Nominee Information (PDF)

Eligibility

• Nominees must demonstrate outstanding contributions to public outreach and science education activities for SfN or its local chapters.
• Nominees must show readiness to take leadership role(s) designing and/or executing chapter outreach efforts the following year (documented in the chapter’s Annual Report).
• Nominees must be part of an active chapter that have submitted an Annual Report within the past year. For more information, visit our Chapter Annual Report page or email chapters@sfn.org with any questions.
• At the Predoctoral/Postdoctoral level: Nominees must be a current predoctoral or postdoctoral student. In cases where cooperation was essential for the success of the activity, a group of up to four predoctoral/postdoctoral students is allowed.
• At the Junior Faculty level: Nominees must be a scientist within 10 years of receiving an advanced degree.
• Nominees may not be a recipient of another SfN travel award in the same year.

If your nominee’s activities are focused at the undergraduate/graduate level, please consider nominating them for the Award for Education in Neuroscience. 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

• 2023: Pre/Postdoctoral - Erin Purvis and Benjamin Rein, PhD
• 2022: Pre/Postdoctoral – Knowing Neurons: Arielle Hogan and Alba Peris-Yagüe; Kimberly Fiock
  Junior Faculty – Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzim, PhD
• 2021: Pre/Postdoctoral- Sabin Nettles
  Junior Faculty- Hilary Marusak, PhD
• 2020: Pre/Postdoctoral — Brian Lim and Taissa Lytchenko
  Chapters — Nancy Michael, Taissa Lytchenko, and Brian Lim
  Junior Faculty — Nancy Michael, PhD
• 2019: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral – Project Bridge team: Cody Call, Emma Spikol, Meiling May, Kevin Monk
  Junior Faculty – Victoria Heimer-McGinn, PhD
• 2018: Teodora Stoica, and Elena Blanco Suarez, PhD
• 2017: Ido Davidesco, PhD & Kristofer K. Rau, PhD
• 2016: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral – (Brain Matters Podcast) Matthew James Davis, Lauren Josephine Kreeger, and Anthony Lacagnina, (Knowing Neurons) Joel Frohlich, Katherine E. Fehlhaber and Joo Yeun Lee
  Junior Faculty – John Meitzen, PhD
• 2015: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow - Nicole Baganz, PhD
  Junior Faculty - Diasynou Fioravante, PhD
• 2014: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow team - Alexandra Colón-Rodríguez, Eileen S. Rodríguez-Tapia and Chelsea Tiernan, PhD (Michigan State University)
• 2013: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow and team — Kasia M. Bieszczad, PhD and Shoai Hattori, Jessica Wilson, and Matthew Schroeder (Chicago Chapter)
• 2012: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow team — Amy L. Altick, PhD, and Bethany R. Brookshire, PhD
  Junior Faculty — Courtney Stevens, PhD
• 2011: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow team — Catherine Jensen, Heather McKellar, and Kelley Remole (Greater NYC Chapter)
• 2010: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow team — Timothy Marzullo and Gregory Gage (Michigan Chapter)
• 2009: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow team — Michael Black & Kimberly Magushak (Atlanta Chapter)
  Junior Faculty — Cynthia Smeraski (Front Range Neuroscience Group Chapter)
• 2008: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow team — Anteneh Argaw, Emma Duerden, Jean-Francois Gariepy, and David Steminowicz (Montreal Chapter)
  Junior Faculty — Karen Zito (University of California-Davis Chapter)
• 2007: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral fellow team — Jonathan Ting, Bryan White, and Hirofumi Watari (Pacific Cascade Chapt
  Junior Faculty: Kyle Frantz (Atlanta Chapter)