Rules & Eligibility

The applicant must be an APS-DBIO member at the time of application, without restrictions on their nationality or the geographic site at which the work was done.

Biological physics researchers with at most 7 years of full time activity since starting their first independent position as of the initial nomination deadline (June 3, 2024), allowing for career breaks (e.g., due to child or dependent care, illness, military service, etc.), are eligible. The application package must explicitly state the date that the applicant started their first independent position, and any career breaks.

The award is open to researchers from all disciplines that contribute to the advancement of biological physics, broadly construed, including experimental, computational, engineering, or theoretical approaches. The prize recognizes the fundamentally interdisciplinary nature of research in biological physics. The postgraduate degree and/or current affiliation of the applicant can be physics or a related field.

The applicant cannot be a previous recipient of the award.

The applicant cannot be a member of the award selection committee.

No current member of the DBIO Executive Committee may apply for this award. If an Early Career member’s term ends on their final year of eligibility, they will be allowed to submit an application at most 1 year past their final eligibility date (no more than 8 years of full time activity).

Application & Selection Process

Deadline: Monday, June 3, 2024

Any eligible applicant may submit one application each year. The application should include:

• A personal statement (of no more than three pages) from the applicant summarizing their scientific achievements and broader impacts of their work to the field of biological physics.
• A two-page biographical sketch.
• A list of (up to 10 of) the most important publications.
• Names of least two, but not more than four, individuals to be contacted for recommendation letters.

No time limits are set on when the work was done, but emphasis should generally be on recent work performed during their independent position(s).The research recognized could either be a single piece of work, or the sum of contributions.

Ordinarily, the prize will be awarded to a single individual.

For any questions, please contact Greg Stephens, g.j.stephens@vu.nl.