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Society Awards

Through its awards program, the Biophysical Society honors its members and recognizes excellence in biophysics. The Society offers awards in sixteen different categories.

Nominations for the awards are solicited and evaluated by the Biophysical Society Awards Committee. Society members are encouraged to nominate candidates by submitting a nomination application through the online nomination site. Please note that the nomination information will not be saved until you have clicked the submit button.  You are encouraged to have all required materials ready when starting the online nomination process. 

The Society Awards now accept self-nominations. The Fellows distinction and the Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award, however, are not eligible for self-nomination. Nominees may be affiliated with non-academic institutions, however, please note that Society membership is a requirement for the nominator, nominee, and author of one of the two letters of support. Awards Committee members and Council members are not eligible for Society Awards during their term. For specific information and eligibility requirements, click on the individual award categories.

All nominees and award recipients will be guided by both the BPS Ethics Guidelines and the Awards and Fellows Revocation Policy.

For a helpful guide on how to craft an effective nomination letter, check out this blog post from the Committee for Professional Opportunities for Women (CPOW).

If you receive an error message when attempting to start an application, please click here to see if there is an existing application associated with your account. In order to complete an existing application, choose Options, then Edit.

Anatrace Membrane Protein Award

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2025 Awardee

Paula J. Booth

King's College London, United Kingdom

About the Award

The Anatrace Membrane Protein Award, funded by Anatrace Inc., was established to recognize an outstanding investigator who has made a significant contribution to the field of membrane protein research. The award is designed to promote membrane protein studies and recognize excellence in the field. This $3,000 award is distributed annually.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of membrane protein research including but not limited to studies of the structure, biochemistry, or biological function of membrane proteins.
  • Nominees must not have received the Anatrace Award in any prior 5-year period.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nomination packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) describing qualifications of the nominee and commenting on the nominee's scientific contributions to the field of membrane protein biochemistry/biophysics

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2024: Susan K. Buchanan
2023: Krzysztof (Kris) Palczewski
2022: William Dowhan
2021: Nieng Yan
2020: Gunnar von Heijne
2019: Raymond Stevens
2018: Jue Chen
2017: James U. Bowie
2016: Eric Gouaux
2015: Anthony Watts
2014: Douglas Rees
2013: Carol Robinson

2012: Charles R. Sanders
2011: Shelagh Ferguson-Miller
2010: Tom A. Rapoport
2009: Robert M. Stroud
2008: H. Ronald Kaback

Agnes Pockels Award in Lipids and Membrane Biophysics (formerly the Avanti Award in Lipids)

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2025 Awardees

Janice L. Robertson

Washington University in St. Louis, USA

About the Award

The Agnes Pockels Award in Lipids and Membrane Biophysics will be given to an investigator for outstanding contributions to advancing the field of lipids and membrane biophysics. The Award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made important and well-recognized contributions to an understanding of membrane biophysics, including but not limited to the metabolism, enzymology, structure, or function of membranes.
  • Nominee must not have received an Avanti Award or Agnes Pockels Award in any prior year.
  • Nominator and nominee must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter supporting the candidacy of the nominee and highlighting specific publications deemed representative or especially worthy of recognition. Other contributions including mentoring, service, and outreach should also be noted.

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. Nominee’s curriculum vitae (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

  6. Letter of Acceptance written by the nominee acknowledging the nomination

Past Awardees

2024: Kandice Levental and Ilya Levental
2023: Karen G. Fleming
2022: Patricia Bassereau
2021: Richard Pastor
2020: Akihiro Kusumi
2019: Enrico Gratton
2018: Wonhwa Cho
2017: Sarah L. Keller
2016: Philip Yeagle
2015: Gerald Feigenson
2014: Michael Brown
2013: Joseph Zasadzinski
2012: Huey W. Huang
2011: Eric Oldfield
2010: James A. Hamilton
2009: Stephen H. White
2008: Ben de Kruijff
2007: Klaus Gawrisch

2006: Thomas E. Thompson
2005: Joachim Seelig
2004: Thomas J. McIntosh
2003: John F. Nagle and Stephanie Tristram-Nagle
2002: N/A
2001: Ronald McElhaney
2000: Edward A. Dennis
1999: Richard M. Epand
1998: Lewis C. Cantley
1997: Ching-hsien Huang

Michael and Kate Bárány Award

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2025 Awardee

Hernan G. Garcia

University of California, Berkeley, USA

About the Award

The Michael and Kate Bárány Award recognizes an outstanding contribution to biophysics by a person who has not achieved the rank of full professor at the time of nomination. This award was established by the Biophysical Society. In recognition of the endowment gift from Michael and Kate Bárány, the award was renamed in 1998. The Award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
  • Nominee must not have reached rank of full professor at time of nomination.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2024: Julia Mahamid
2023: Jeanne C. Stachowiak
2022: Suckjoon Jun
2021: Tanja Mittag
2020: Clifford P. Brangwynne
2019: Elizabeth Rhoades
2018: Bianxiao Cui
2017: Ahmet Yildiz
2016: Olga Boudker
2015: Sarah Teichmann
2014: Miriam Goodman
2013: Patricia Clark
2012: Vijay Pande
2011: Charalampos Kalodimos
2010: Mark J. Schnitzer
2009: Gaudenz M. Danuser
2008: Sergei I. Sukharev
2007: Taekjip Ha
2006: Anne-Frances Miller
2005: Vincent Hilser

2004: Paul R. Selvin
2003: Patricia Jennings
2002: William Zagotta
2001: Shimon Weiss
2000: Elizabeth A. Komives
1999: Gaetano T. Montelione
1998: Winfried Denk
1997: Donald W. Hilgemann
1996: David P. Corey
1995: Roderick MacKinnon
1994: Steven M. Block
1993: Ronald D. Vale
1992: Richard W. Aldrich

BPS Award in the Biophysics of Health and Disease

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2025 Awardee

Elizabeth A. Jonas

Yale University School of Medicine, USA

The BPS Award in the Biophysics of Health and Disease honors a BPS member who has made a significant contribution to understanding the fundamental cause or pathogenesis of disease, or to enabling the treatment or prevention. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2024: Nancy Carrasco
2023: Kevin H. Gardner
2022: Stephen C. Cannon
2021: Andrea Meredith
2020: Alexandra C. Newton

 

Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award

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2025 Awardee

Daniel R. Larson

Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, USA

About the Award

The Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award recognizes a BPS member who advances our fundamental understanding of biological systems through the development of novel theory, models, concepts, techniques, or applications. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2024: Takanari Inoue
2023: Jin Zhang
2022: Bridget Carragher
2021: Gregory A. Voth
2020: G. Marius Clore
2019: Songi Han

 

Klaus Schulten and Zaida Luthey-Schulten Computational Biophysics Lecture Award

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2025 Awardee

James A. Glazier

Indiana University, Bloomington, USA

About the Award

The Klaus Schulten and Zaida Luthey-Schulten Computational Biophysics Lecture Award recognizes researchers for their outstanding contributions in computational or theoretical, including analytical theory, aspects of biophysical systems, and service to the BPS or society broadly. This award honors the mathematical, theoretical, and technological innovations of Klaus Schulten and Zaida Luthey-Schulten which led to key discoveries about the motion of individual proteins and nucleic acids, organelles and the whole cell, and their contributions recognized by the Biophysical Society Distinguished Service Award. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000 and the opportunity to participate as a Symp Select Speaker in the BPS Annual Meeting.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing scientific and service contributions of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. Nominee’s curriculum vitae (no more than 5 pages), including relevant publications. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Rosalba Kampman Distinguished Service Award

Not awarded in 2025

2024 Awardee

Frances Separovic

University of Melbourne, Australia

About the Award

The Rosalba Kampman Distinguished Service Award, established by the Biophysical Society, honors service in the field of biophysics and contributions beyond achievements in research. The award is presented biennially.  The recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics and in its advancement outside of research.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2022: Dorothy Beckett
2020: Jean Chin
2018: Leslie Loew
2016: Yale E. Goldman
2015: Kamal Shukla
2014: Linda Kenney
2013: Klaus Schulten
2012: Edward Egelman
2011: Olaf Andersen
2010: Mordecai P. Blaustein
2009: Jeremy M. Berg
2008: Robert Callender
2007: Ken Dill

2006: Robert Gunn
2005: Sarah Hitchcock-DeGregori
2004: Mary Dicky Barkley
2003: Marvin Cassman
2002: Peter Moore
2001: Frederic M. Richards
2000: Helen Berman
1999: Stephen H. White
1998: Victor A. Bloomfield
1997: Thomas D. Pollard

Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award

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2025 Awardee

Doreen Matthies

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, USA

About the Award

This award honors the memory of Dr. Margaret Dayhoff, former President of the Biophysical Society, Professor of Biophysics at Georgetown University, and Director of Research at the National Biomedical Research Foundation. Presented each year at the Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, the award includes an honorarium of $2,000.

The Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award is given to a woman who holds very high promise or has achieved prominence while developing the early stages of a career in biophysical research within the purview and interest of the Biophysical Society. Achievement means that the candidate has already published substantial contributions to science; promise means that the candidate shows indications of leadership in ideas, organization, or other ways manifest for her colleagues within the scientific community.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must be a woman who holds very high promise or has achieved prominence while developing the early stages of a career in biophysical research.
  • A candidate who has already received university tenure by the due date on nomination is not eligible.
  • Candidates who work in non-academic environments are eligible if their work is published, meets academic standards, and they do not have tenure equivalency.
  • A candidate having a PhD or equivalent degree shall be eligible until she has completed 10 years of full-time work following the degree. A candidate with a Baccalaureate degree but without a PhD shall have 12 years of eligibility. Time taken off for child-rearing will not be counted in this total. Part-time work and other special circumstances will be evaluated at the discretion of the Committee.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nomination packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. The most important item is a nominator’s letter with a personal recommendation. The letter should be no more than 2 pages, in a style similar to that supporting a promotion, and should comment as specifically as possible on:

    -  Overall scientific program and publications of the nominee with an evaluation of her specific contributions  

    -  Contributions of the nominee, especially those not apparent in her publications  

    -  Characteristics of the nominee indicating leadership and potential  

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

  6. A list of the nominee’s publications followed by three full-text papers that illustrate the merits of the nominee's contributions to science. (Please combine into a single .pdf file.)

  7. Include any personal hardship or other obstacle that has prevented the nominee from advancing at a normal rate including, but not limited to, family responsibilities or severely disadvantaged background. Please include your estimate of the number of years of extension appropriate to the circumstances. The judging standards will be the same for all nominees but the eligibility period may be extended with the agreement of the committee.

Past Awardees

2024: Lu Wei
2023: Elizabeth H. Kellogg
2022: Gabriela Schlau-Cohen
2021: Randy Stockbridge
2020: Valeria Vásquez
2019: Meytal Landau
2018: Carrie Partch
2017: Julie S. Biteen
2016: Sophie Dumont and Polina Lishko
2015: Antonina Roll-Mecak
2014: Sarah Veatch
2013: Jennifer Ross and Katherine Henzler-Wildman
2012: Lucy R. Forrest
2011: Diane Lidke
2010: Crina Nimigean and Maria Spies
2009: Teresa Giraldez, Adrienne L. Fairhall, and Jin Zhang
2008: Judith Klein-Seetharaman
2007: Kalina Hristova
2006: Anne Hinderliter
2005: Sarah Keller
2004: Dorothee Kern
2003: Hao Wu
2002: Gina MacDonald
2001: Millie M. Georgiadis and Ka Yee Christina Lee
2000: Lydia M. Gregoret

1998/99: Judith R. Mourant
1997/98: Bonnie Anne Berger
1996/97: Susan Marqusee
1995/96: Lynne Regan
1994/95: Hillary C. M. Nelson
1993/94: Jean S. Baum
1992/93: Carol Vandenberg
1991/92: Hazel M. Holden and Francine R. Smith
1990/91: Jeanne Rudzki Small
1989/90: Anne Walter
1988/89: Nancy L. Thompson
1987/88: Rachel Klevit
1986/87: Barbara E. Ehrlich
1985/86: Barbara A. Lewis
1984/85: Dagmar Ringe and Bonnie Ann Wallace

Fellow of the Biophysical Society Award

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This award honors the Society's distinguished members who have demonstrated sustained scientific excellence.

2025 Fellows of the Biophysical Society

Elizabeth H. Blackburn
University of California, San Francisco, USA

Enrique M. De La Cruz
Yale University, USA

Enrico Gratton
University of California, Irvine, USA

Vasanthi Jayaraman
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA

Edward A. Lemke
Johannes Gutenberg University and Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz, Germany

Leslie M. Loew
R. D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, USA

Tanja Mittag
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA

 

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must demonstrate sustained scientific excellence.

  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

  6. A list of the 10 most important papers the nominee has published

  7. A 300-word maximum paragraph summarizing the nominee's overall contributions and impact

2024 Rommie E. Amaro, Ivet Bahar, Jennifer A. Doudna, Kresten Lindorff-Larsen, Gary J. Pielak, Eugene Shakhnovich, Michelle D. Wang
2023 Nancy Carrasco, Ka Yee C. Lee, Boris Martinac, Daniel L. Minor, Jr., William E. Moerner, Gerd Ulrich Nienhaus, Catherine A. Royer
2022 Roger Cooke, Karen G. Fleming, Angela M. Gronenborn, Martin Karplus, Stephen Kowalczykowski, Dame Carol V. Robinson, Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
2021 Hashim Al-Hashimi, Hermann Gaub, Vincent Hilser, Leemor Joshua-Tor, Sarah Keller, Carol Post, Lukas Tamm, Ada Yonath
2020 Charalampos Babis Kalodimos, Steven Chu, Taekjip Ha, Eva Nogales, Benjamin Schuler, Cynthia Wolberger, Hao Wu
2019 Marileen Dogterom, Judith Frydman, Gilad Haran, Stefan Hell, Kenneth Johnson, Zaida Luthey-schulten, Rohit Pappu
2018 Patricia Bassereau, James Bowie, Astrid Graslund, Roderick Mackinnon, Sheena Radford, Sriram Subramaniam, H. Lee Sweeney, Harel Weinstein
2017 Jonathon Howard, Lewis E. Kay, Brian Kobilka, Michael Levitt, Jane S. Richardson, Petra Schwille, Bonnie Wallace
2016 Mario L. Amzel, Charles L. Brooks, Walter J. Chazin, Jane Clarke, Angel E. Garcia, Antoinette Killian, Matthias Rief, Nancy L. Thompson, Eduardo Perozo
2015 Joseph J. Falke, Susan Marqusee, Sharon Hammes- Schiffer, George Phillips, Timothy Lohman, James Sellers
2014 Barbara Baird, Michael Brown, Lila Gierasch, Karolin Luger, Benoit Roux, Michael Sheetz, Devarajan Thirumalai, David Warshaw
2012 Toshio Yanagida, Klaus Schulten, Carlos Bustamante, Frances Separovic, Tamar Schlick, José Onuchic, Gregory Voth
2011 Valerie Daggett, Donald M. Engelman, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Erwin Neher, Ruth Nussinov, Lynne J. Regan, Anthony Watts
2010 Steven M. Block, David S. Cafiso, G. Marius Clore, Michael A. Edidin, Shelagh Ferguson-Miller, Andrew Joshua Wand
2009 Donald M. Bers, Betty J. Gaffney, Robert L. Jernigan, Mark T. Nelson, Diane M. Papazian
2008 Timothy A. Cross, Eve E. Marder, Ivan Rayment, Stephen G. Sligar, Attila Szabo
2007 Steven Boxer, Maurizio Brunori, William Cramer, Elliot L. Elson, George P. Hess
2006 Michael Bárány, Yale Goldman, Martin Gruebele, M. Thomas Record, J. Walter Woodbury, Xialing Sunney Xie
2005 Sunney I. Chan, Edward H. Egelman, Jeffrey Skolnick, David D. Thomas, Ernest M. Wright
2004 David L. Beveridge, Ronald N. McElhaney, Mauricio Montal, Brian D. Sykes
2003 Mordecai P. Blaustein, David R. Davies, Richard M. Epand, John Gergely, Rufus Lumry, James H. Prestegard, Peter G. Wolynes
2002 David DeRosier, Ken Dill, William A. Eaton, Joachim Frank, Hans Frauenfelder, Robert Gennis, Wayne Hendrickson, Terrell L. Hill, Joseph Hoffman, H. Ronald Kaback, Irwin Kuntz, Jon Lederer, John L. Markley, John Schellman, Ignacio Tinoco, Peter H. von Hippel, Stephen White, Clare Woodward, Bruno Zimm
2001 Helen Berman, Ludwig Brand, George Feher, Manuel Morales, Wilma Olson, Arieh Warshel
2000 Gary K. Ackers, Richard W. Aldrich, Clay M. Armstrong, Daniel Axelrod, Robert L. Baldwin, Francisco Bezanilla, Rodney L. Biltonen, Kevin P. Campbell, Charles R. Cantor, Donald L. D. Caspar, Carolyn Cohen, Donald M. Crothers, David Eisenberg, S. Walter Englander, Bertil Hille, Barry Honig, Wayne Hubbell, Hugh E. Huxley, William P. Jencks, Jack H. Kaplan, Peter S. Kim, Susan Lowey, J. Andrew McCammon, Harden M. McConnell, Gerhard Meissner, Peter B. Moore, V. Adrian Parsegian, Thomas D. Pollard, Frederic M. Richards, Michael G. Rossmann, Harold Scheraga, Andrew P. Somlyo, Avril V. Somlyo, Robert M. Stroud, Andrew G. Szent-Gyorgyi, Thomas E. Thompson, Richard W. Tsien, Watt W. Webb, Annemarie Weber

Founders Award

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2025 Awardee

Devarajan Thirumalai

The University of Texas at Austin, USA

About the Award

The Founders Award, established by the Society, is given to scientists for outstanding achievement in any area of biophysics. These achievements are often reflected in the acceptance of and use by others in the field, either promptly or over a period of years. The awardee receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an outstanding achievement in an area of biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2024: Steven G. Boxer
2023: José Nelson Onuchic
2022: Timothy A. Springer
2021: Angela M. Gronenborn
2020: Dan Herschlag
2019: Juli Feigon
2018: James Spudich
2017: Donald E. Ingber
2016: Steven Block
2015: Harold Scheraga
2014: Arieh Warshel
2013: Peter von Hippel
2012: Sunney Xie
2011: Attila Szabo
2010: S. Walter Englander
2009: Keiichi Namba
2008: Peter G. Wolynes
2007: Clara Franzini-Armstrong
2006: William A. Eaton
2005: Thomas G. Spiro
2004: Carlos Bustamante
2003: Irwin Kuntz
2002: Barry Honig

2001: M. Thomas Record
2000: Carolyn Cohen
1999: Robert L. Baldwin
1998: Michael G. Rossmann
1997: William H. Woodruff
1996: Ignacio Tinoco, Jr.
1995: David A. Yphantis
1994: Gary K. Ackers
1993: David J. DeRosier and Joachim Frank
1992: Robert M. Glaeser
1991: Wayne L. Hubbell
1990: Joel Brown
1989: Ramon Latorre
1988: Seymour H. Koenig
1987: Lawrence B. Cohen
1986: George Eisenman

Early Independent Career Award

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2025 Awardee

Christopher O. Barnes

Stanford University, USA

About the Award

The Early Independent Career Award recognizes a faculty member, independent investigator, or staff scientist at an academic institution, national research lab, or private research organization with six or fewer years of service who has made noteworthy contributions in biophysics research and service during their independence. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must be a full-time faculty member, independent investigator, or staff scientist for six or fewer years as of May 1 of the year the nomination is submitted. Time taken off for child-rearing or other purposes will not be counted in this total as long as the nominee has officially taken the associated extension (for example of a tenure clock) at their institution. Part-time work and other special circumstances will be evaluated at the discretion of the Committee.
  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics during their independence.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. Nominee’s curriculum vitae (no more than 5 pages), including relevant publications. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Emily M. Gray Award

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2025 Awardee

Silvia Cavagnero

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

About the Award

The Emily M. Gray Award is given for significant contributions to education in biophysics, contributions that may include a distinguished record of excellence in classroom instruction, in mentoring research scientists at any level, in developing novel educational methods or materials, in promoting scientific outreach efforts to the public or to youth, in generating a track record of attracting new students to thefield of biophysics, or in otherwise fostering an environment exceptionally conducive to education in biophysics.  The award is given biennially.  The winner receives an honorarium of $2000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to education in biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2023: Jonathan A. King
2021: Doug Barrick
2019: Yves De Koninck
2018: Madeline Shea
2017: Enrique M. De La Cruz
2016: Douglas Robinson
2015: Meyer Jackson
2014: Alberto Diaspro
2013: Louis de Felice
2012: Kenneth Dill and Sarina Bromberg
2011: Bertil Hille
2010: Greta Pifat-Mrzljak
2009: Philip C. Nelson
2008: Donald M. Crothers

2007: John Steve Olson
2006: Ignacio Tinoco, Jr.
2005: Barry R. Lentz
2004: Richard D. Ludescher
2003: Michael Summers
2002: Norma Allewell
2001: Jane Richardson
2000: Charles Cantor and Paul Schimmel
1999: Kensal E. van Holde
1998: Muriel S. Prouty

Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award

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2025 Awardees

Hugo Lachuer

Institut Jacques Monod (CNRS), France

Nadab Wubshet

University of Michigan and Harvard University, USA

About the Award

The Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award recognizes excellence in thesis research, writing, and service by two PhD recipients in biophysics, one who received their PhD at an academic institution in the United States and one who received their PhD at a non-US institution. Each award recipient receives an honorarium of $1,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominees must have successfully defended their PhD within the two-year period prior to nomination.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • The nomination is for a single thesis/original work/final version/filed with institution during the current awards cycle.
  • Nominator must be a Regular or Emeritus member of the Society who is familiar with their research.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee and nominator. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications and contributions of the nominee.

  4. An essay (1200 maximum) written in English by the nominee explaining their thesis to a broad audience with scientific interest, with an optional secondary essay describing mentoring, service, and/or outreach (300 words maximum).

PUI Faculty Award

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2025 Awardee

Elizabeth A. Yates

United States Naval Academy, USA

About the Award

The PUI Faculty Award honors excellence in academic research and mentoring by faculty at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must be faculty at a PUI at the time of nomination.
  • PUI is defined as accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate’s degrees, Bachelor’s degrees, and/or Master’s degrees (or the non-US equivalents) but have awarded 20 or fewer PhD degrees during the combined previous 2 academic years.
  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. Nominee’s curriculum vitae (no more than 5 pages), including relevant publications. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Kazuhiko Kinosita Award in Single-Molecule Biophysics

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2025 Awardee

Scott C. Blanchard

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA

About the Award

The Kazuhiko Kinosita Award in Single-Molecule Biophysics recognizes outstanding researchers for their exceptional contributions in advancing the field of single-molecule biophysics. This award honors the life and work of Professor Kazuhiko Kinosita, Jr., who helped to establish the field, and who performed many elegant experiments, including proving conclusively the rotation of individual molecules of the F1 ATPase (ATP synthase). The award is intended to encourage investigators, to promote further developments in single-molecule biophysics, to advance the type of cross-disciplinary research that is characteristic of this field, and to elevate an appreciation of single-molecule studies among scientists in general. The Award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,500.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

Past Awardees

2024: Christy F. Landes
2023: Ben Schuler
2022: Shimon Weiss
2021: Carlos Bustamante
2020: Yale E. Goldman
2019: Jeff Gelles
2018: Taekjip Ha
2017: Shin'ichi Ishiwata

US Genomics Award Past Awardees

2011: Toshio Yanagida
2010: Jane Clarke
2009: Julio M. Fernandez
2008: Steven M. Block
2007: Howard C. Berg
2006: James A. Spudich

Ignacio Tinoco Award of the Biophysical Society

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2025 Awardee

Gilad Haran

Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

About the Award

The Ignacio "Nacho" Tinoco Award of the Biophysical Society honors the scientific contributions, work, and life of an outstanding biophysical chemist. Tinoco’s contributions to the spectroscopic, thermodynamic, structural, and single-molecule study of biopolymers consistently deepened our understanding of fundamental biophysical principles, constantly moving this field toward new frontiers. This award is intended to recognize meritorious investigators who make important contributions to the physical chemistry of macromolecules. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $3,000.

Eligibility:

  • Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
  • Nominee and nominator must be members of the Society in good standing.
  • Current Council and Awards Committee members are not eligible.
  • Nominator must submit completed Nomination Application through the online portal and required documents in PDF Format.
     

Nominations packets must include the following:

  1. Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. You will need to have the name of the nominee, name of the nominator, and names of those who will write supporting letters. All supporting documents need to be uploaded in PDF format.

  2. A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected

  3. Nomination letter describing qualifications of the nominee

  4. Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member

  5. A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here.

 

2024: M. Thomas Record, Jr.
2023: Sarah A. Woodson
2022: Paul R. Selvin
2021: Peter H. von Hippel
2020: Elliot L. Elson
2019: Harry F. Noller