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.

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

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

IBANGS Distinguished Investigator Award

2025     Hee-Sup Shin, MD, PhD
2024     Andrew Holmes, PhD.
2023     Catharine Rankin, PhD
2022     Elissa Chesler, PhD
2021    Abraham A. Palmer, PhD
2019    Seth Grant, PhD 
2018    Rainer Spanagel, PhD  
2017    Kirstin Scott PhD
2016    Gene Robinson PhD
2015    Dai Stephens PhD
2014    Marla Sokolowski PhD
2013    Robert Gerlai PhD
2012    Joe Tsien PhD
2011    Jacqueline Crawley PhD
2010    Tamara Phillips PhD
2009    Hans-Peter Lipp PhD
2008    John Belknap PhD and John Crabbe PhD
2007    Robert W. Williams PhD
2006    Doug Wahlsten PhD
2005    Lorraine Flaherty PhD

IBANGS Early Career Achievement Awardees

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.