CALL FOR INVESTIGATOR AWARD NOMINATIONS 2026

The International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society
CALL FOR 2026 IBANGS AWARD NOMINATIONS Early Career Achievement Award and Distinguished Investigator
Award DEADLINE: December 2nd, 2025.

To recognize the important contributions of our colleagues in the field of behavioral and neural genetics, the IBANGS Executive Committee confers two awards at each IBANGS annual meeting: the Early Career Achievement Award and the Distinguished Investigator Award.

Early Career Achievement Award

Eligible nominees are not required to be current IBANGS members but will have to be registered annual meeting participants (Meeting registration fees will be waived and awardees will be reimbursed for up to $1000 in travel costs and awarded a $500 honorarium). Self-nominations are allowed. Excluded from eligibility are current members of the Awards and Executive Committees.

Criteria for evaluation are:
1. Seven (7) or fewer years post first faculty or faculty-equivalent appointment
2. Area of research, and importance to behavioral and neural genetics
3. Scientific importance of research discoveries/record of achievement
4. Future scientific plans and projects
5. Projected impact on the field

Annual Distinguished Investigator
Award Eligible nominees are not required to be current IBANGS members but will have to be registered annual meeting participants (Meeting registration fees will be waived and awardees will be reimbursed for up to $1000 in travel costs and awarded a $500 honorarium). Self-nominations are not allowed. Excluded from eligibility are current members of the Awards and Executive Committees.

Criteria for evaluation are:
1. Seven (7) or more years post first faculty or faculty-equivalent appointment
2. Area of research, and importance to behavioral and neural genetics
3. Scientific importance of research discoveries/record of achievement
4. Mentorship of students, postdoctoral fellows, and new faculty
5. Continued impact on the field

To make a nomination, please email the items below by December 2nd to Helen Kamens (Chair),
[[email protected]].

1. Your letter of nomination or self-nomination and statement of the nominee’s scientific contributions, addressing the evaluation criteria for the appropriate award (maximum 2-pages). This letter must confirm that the individual has agreed to be nominated and agreed to attend the Annual Meeting to present a lecture, if selected.

2. Nominee’s contact information 3. Nominee’s Curriculum Vitae The list of previous awardees is on the Society’s Awards web page. IBANGS Awards. Awardees will be selected by the Awards Committee, and will give talks at the 27th Genes, Brain and Behavior Meeting, June 8-11th, 2026, at the University of Pittsburgh.

Awards Committee
Chair: Helen Kamens, Penn State University
Igor Ponamarev, Texas University Tech
Zoe Donaldson, University of Colorado, Boulder
Clyde Francks, Max Planck Institute
Laverne Melón, Wesleyan University

IBANGS Awards

IBANGS Fellow
Fellow of the International Behavioral and Neural Genetics Society appointment is given to individuals that have demonstrated scientific excellence, and support of the society through service on committees and continuous membership for a number of years. Nominees for Fellow will be considered by a sub-committee of the Awards Committee consisting of Fellow Appointees.

2026  Andrew Holmes, PhD
2026 Tamara J. Phillips; PhD
2026 Marla B. Sokolowski, PhD
2019  Richard E. Brown, PhD
2019  Elissa J. Chesler, PhD
2019  John C. Crabbe, PhD
2019  Jacqueline N. Crawley, PhD
2019  Wim E. Crusio, PhD
2019  Hans-Peter Lipp, PhD
2019  Abraham A. Palmer, PhD
2019  Catharine H. Rankin, PhD
2019  Hee-sup Shin, MD, PhD
2019  Douglas Wahlsten, PhD
2019  Robert W. Williams, PhD

2026 Chongyuan Luo, PhD
2025 Caroline Ménard, PhD
2024  Francesca Telese, PhD.
2023  Sandra Sanchez-Roige, PhD
2022  Monica Dus, PhD
2021  Ryan W. Logan, PhD
2019  Zoe Donaldson, PhD
2018  Karla Kaun PhD
2018  Catherine Kaczorowski PhD
2017  Amy Lasek PhD
2016  Alex Keene PhD
2015  Yehuda Ben-Shahar, PhD
2014  Camron D. Bryant PhD
2013  Judith R Homberg PhD
2012  No award given
2011  Stephen Boehm PhD
2010  Hiroki Ishiguro PhD
2009  Abraham Palmer PhD
2008  Justin Rhodes PhD
2007  Elissa Chesler PhD
2006  Andrew Holmes PhD

IBANGS Distinguished Service Awardees
The IBANGS Distinguished Service Award is given to our colleagues that go above and beyond to further the field of behavioral neural genetics and/or the success of the society.