Arabidopsis Community Awards
Award Categories
Process & Timeline
To Nominate
NOTE: submitted nomination text is assessed during the pre-review process to select nominees to advance to Round 2. Your nomination text should clearly and succinctly outline how your nominee fits the listed qualifications for the award category to have the best chance to advance to Round 2.
Nominators of candidates that advance will be contacted ~February 20-28 and advised to develop the full candidate package for Round 2. This entails contacting the nominee for their CV, candidate statement, and several names for letters of support (3 letters required for each candidate in Round 2.)
Self-nominations (if selected to advance to Round 2): You will provide us with your CV and candidate statement and 3-5 names of potential letter writers that we will contact on your behalf.
Award Eligibility, Assessment, & Materials
(nominees from all countries encouraged)
Philip N. Benfey Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement
For longtime commitment to advancing and assisting the Arabidopsis community via excellence in research, mentoring, training, and non-research impacts.
Awardees will be invited to participate in a Q&A/interview-type webinar open to the community.
ELIGIBILITY
Nominees should be a pioneer of a new research frontier using Arabidopsis as a model which should be reflected by their groundbreaking scientific discovery(ies), their training of the next generation of scientists, and their non-research contributions to the Arabidopsis community. Nominees should have received their doctorate 25+ years ago. Nominees from all countries accepted.
ASSESSMENT & REQUIRED MATERIALS
Round 1: Nominator-submitted nomination text through the online portal. Text should be 200-500 words addressing 1+ evaluation categories shown below. Text may be pasted into the online portal or uploaded as a word document or .pdf
For candidates selected to advance to Round 2:
Nominator-submitted Supporting Materials: (1) Nominee CV
(2) Maximum 1 page candidate statement (optional for this category) (3) Three letters of support from current or past trainees.
First priority for assessment: activities demonstrated to be within or support the Arabidopsis community. Second priority: activities within or that support other communities.
Evaluated on: Nominees will be evaluated & assessed on a scale of 1 (low/poor) to 5 (high) in these areas:
Distinguished research on Arabidopsis throughout a career spanning multiple decades
Their positive mentoring and impacts on their trainees and the success of their trainees in their own careers. (Note: we will contact trainees of nominees to solicit input on the nominee’s mentoring impact.)
Community service, outreach, public engagement, and/or innovative teaching
EXAMPLE PROMPTS TO CONSIDER WHEN NOMINATING AND/OR WRITING LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Distinguished research on Arabidopsis throughout a career spanning multiple decades. Nominees will be assessed by the long-term impact of their career rather than a specific or limited discovery, publication, or development of a tool/technique. In essence, we seek to understand how the nominee impacted the field through lasting contributions. Example prompts: What legacy do you think this person may leave in the Arabidopsis field? In what ways has the nominee continued to impact the Arabidopsis community/field beyond their biggest impact? What has this nominee done to keep Arabidopsis research relevant for the rest of (plant) biology? How has the nominee’s work with Arabidopsis advanced our understanding of plants/plant biology?
Their positive mentoring and impacts on their trainees and the success of their trainees in their own careers. (Note: We will contact trainees of each nominee to solicit input on the nominee’s mentoring impact.) Example prompts: What legacy do you think this person may leave in the Arabidopsis field? What impacts have those that trained in the nominee’s laboratory had on the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally, after leaving the nominees’ lab?
The impact of their non-research contributions to the Arabidopsis community, e.g., via community service, outreach, community engagement, and/or innovative teaching. Example prompts: What legacy do you think this person may leave in the Arabidopsis field and beyond, with respect to non-research contributions?
Excellence in Supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) in the Arabidopsis Community
For demonstrated commitment to supporting DEIB in the Arabidopsis community. Two award categories: early career (graduate student or postdoctoral scholar) and later career (faculty and other non-trainee positions). Awardees will be invited to present their work (for DEIB & their research) during a public webinar.
ELIGIBILITY
Nominees should be graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, or other non-trainees that have demonstrated a significant record of increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) within/for the Arabidopsis community. This should be exemplified in the nomination text (and supporting documents if they advance to Round 2).
Awardees will have made significant impacts in 1+ areas which may include mentoring, supporting, training, and/or advocating for others that are members of under-represented communities. Awardees may or may not be members of a marginalized group themselves. The individuals serve as role models for our community. Nominees from all countries accepted.
ASSESSMENT & REQUIRED MATERIALS
Round 1: Nominator-submitted nomination text through the online portal. Text should be 200-500 words addressing 1+ evaluation categories shown below. Text may be pasted into the online portal or uploaded as a word document or .pdf
For candidates selected to advance to Round 2:
Nominator-submitted Supporting Materials: (1) Nominee CV,
(2) Maximum 1 page nominee candidate statement addressing 1+ evaluation areas; (3) Three letters of support (please provide the writer with the nominee’s CV at the time you confirm they will submit a letter of support).
First priority for assessment: activities demonstrated to be within or support the Arabidopsis community. Second priority: activities within or that support other communities.
Evaluated on: Nominees will be evaluated & assessed on a scale of 1 (low/poor) to 5 (high) in the areas below. Note: it is not expected that nominees will be strong in each category.
Outreach Activities/Initiatives for DEIB
Communication for DEIB
Service for DEIB
Mentorship and/or Advocacy for DEIB
EXAMPLE PROMPTS TO CONSIDER WHEN NOMINATING AND/OR WRITING LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Outreach Activities/Initiatives for DEIB. Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their outreach activities supporting DEIB. Example prompts: What impacts- and on who/which communities- has this person had through their outreach efforts? What has this nominee done to support DEIB in the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally?
Communication for DEIB: Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their communication activities supporting DEIB. Example prompts: What ways has the nominee engaged in communication activities that support DEIB in the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally? How has their communication effort(s) resulted in positive impacts on DEIB?
Service for DEIB: Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their service activities supporting DEIB. Example prompts: What service has the nominee engaged in to support DEIB in the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally? How has their service effort(s) resulted in positive impacts on DEIB?
Mentorship and/or Advocacy for DEIB: Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their mentorship and/or advocacy activities supporting DEIB. Example prompts: What mentoring impacts have the nominee had that support DEIB in the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally? What advocacy efforts has the nominee engaged in to support DEIB in the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally? Who has the nominee’s advocacy benefitted, with respect to DEIB in the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally?
Dissemination of Arabidopsis Knowledge
For demonstrated commitment to disseminating knowledge in the Arabidopsis community. Two award categories: early career (graduate student or postdoctoral scholar) and later career (faculty and other non-trainee positions). Awardees will be invited to present their work (for Dissemination of Knowledge & their research) during a public webinar.
ELIGIBILITY
Nominees should be graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, or other non-trainee members that have demonstrated significant and innovative dissemination of knowledge within/for the Arabidopsis community. This should be exemplified in the nomination text (and supporting documents if they advance to Round 2).
Awardees will have made significant impacts in 1+ areas which may include teaching, outreach, and/or communication. The individuals serve as role models for our community. Nominees from all countries accepted.
ASSESSMENT & REQUIRED MATERIALS
Round 1: Nominator-submitted nomination text through the online portal. Text should be 200-500 words addressing 1+ evaluation categories shown below. Text may be pasted into the online portal or uploaded as a word document or .pdf
For candidates selected to advance to Round 2:
Nominator-submitted Supporting Materials: (1) Nominee CV,
(2) Maximum 1 page nominee candidate statement addressing 1+ evaluation areas; (3) Three letters of support (please provide the writer with the nominee’s CV at the time you confirm they will submit a letter of support).
First priority for assessment: activities demonstrated to be within or support the Arabidopsis community. Second priority: activities within or that support other communities.
Evaluated on: Nominees will be evaluated & assessed on a scale of 1 (low/poor) to 5 (high) in the areas below. Note: it is not expected that nominees will be strong in each category.
Innovative Teaching for Arabidopsis & plant biology
Outreach Activities/Initiatives for Arabidopsis & plant biology
Communication for Arabidopsis & plant biology
EXAMPLE PROMPTS TO CONSIDER WHEN NOMINATING AND/OR WRITING LETTERS OF SUPPORTInnovative Teaching for Arabidopsis (and/or plant molecular biology more generally): Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their innovative teaching activities primarily involving Arabidopsis, and secondarily, plant biology. Example prompts: What innovative teaching initiatives or approaches has the nominee engaged in/developed to the Arabidopsis community/field, or in the plant molecular biology field more generally? How has their innovative teaching effort(s) resulted in positive impacts on the Arabidopsis, or plant biology, communities?
Outreach Activities/Initiatives using Arabidopsis (or plant molecular biology more generally) Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their outreach activities that disseminate Arabidopsis knowledge, and secondarily, plant biology, knowledge beyond higher education. Example prompts: What has this nominee done to support Arabidopsis and/or plant biology outreach to the public? What impacts- and on who/which communities- has this person had through their outreach efforts to disseminate Arabidopsis and/or plant biology knowledge?
Communication for Arabidopsis (or plant molecular biology more generally): Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their communication activities that disseminate Arabidopsis knowledge, and secondarily, plant biology, knowledge. Example prompts: What ways has the nominee engaged in communication activities that help disseminate Arabidopsis knowledge, or secondarily, plant biology knowledge? How has their communication effort(s) resulted in positive impacts on academia, plant biology communities, the public, and/or society?