In 2015, SMBE instituted four new awards for: Early-Career, Mid-Career, and Lifetime Research Achievements, and Service to the SMBE Community. Each year, we call for nominations for these awards and ask members to consider nominating colleagues.
Briefly, the Early-Career Award is intended for nominees in tenure-track positions at the Assistant Professor level or equivalent; the Mid-Career Award is for the research contributions of faculty nearing promotion to Full Professor or in the early stages as a Full Professor; the Lifetime Contribution Award is for exceptional contributions to the published literature in the field of molecular biology and evolution; and the Community Service Award recognizes outstanding efforts on behalf of the Society and the broader scientific community. Awardees will receive a cash prize and a trip to this year's SMBE Annual Meeting.
Nominations require a nomination letter, which should clearly indicate the award under consideration and also serve as a recommendation letter; a separate one-page summary of the nominee’s qualifications for the award; a CV of the nominee; and an additional letter of recommendation. Self-nomination is not allowed. The nominator need not be an SMBE member, but the nominee must be a member of SMBE to be considered for the award.
For more information on each award please see the links below.
- SMBE Early-Career Excellence Award
- SMBE Mid-Career Excellence Award
- SMBE Community Service Award
- SMBE Lifetime Contribution Award
The deadline to apply for 2026 Faculty Awards is February 20, 2026.