Arabidopsis Community Awards
Award Categories
Process & Timeline
To Nominate
NOTE: submitted nomination text is assessed during the Round 1 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 invited to develop a full candidate package for Round 2. This includes contacting the nominee for their CV, candidate statement, and several names for letters of support (3 letters required for each candidate in Round 2.; Note that for the Lifetime Achievement nominees, letters should be from former or current trainees)
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.
Multiple nominations (of different people) accepted; fill out the nomination form additional times.
If you reply to an emailed request to nominate, you can only nominate once from that email address.
If you have additional nominations to submit you must use the “web link collector URL” included in the emailed nomination form and linked HERE and the above green button.
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.
ELIGIBLE- Nominees from all countries
1 Category of Nominees: pioneers 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.
Awardees will have made significant impacts in all three areas: research excellence, training/mentoring, and community service, outreach, public engagement, and/or innovative teaching.
The individuals serve as role models for our community.
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) 1-2 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.
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 that benefits the Arabidopsis community.
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.
ELIGIBLE- Nominees from all countries
2 Categories of Nominees: (1) graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty & (2) 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 and that has specifically benefitted the Arabidopsis community. Awardees may or may not be members of a marginalized group themselves.
The individuals serve as role models for our community.
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) 1-2 page nominee candidate statement addressing 1+ evaluation areas; (3) Three letters of support (please provide the writer with the nominee’s CV, and ideally the candidate statement, 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.
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.
DEIB Outreach Activities/Initiatives that benefit the Arabidopsis community
DEIB Communication that benefits the Arabidopsis community
DEIB Service that benefits the Arabidopsis community
DEIB Mentorship and/or Advocacy that benefit the Arabidopsis community
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?
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? 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? 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? What advocacy efforts has the nominee engaged in to support DEIB in the Arabidopsis community? Who has the nominee’s advocacy benefitted, with respect to DEIB in the Arabidopsis community?
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.
ELIGIBLE- Nominees from all countries
2 Categories of Nominees: (1) graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty & (2) non-trainees 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 innovative teaching, excellence in outreach, and/or communication and that has specifically benefitted the Arabidopsis community.
The individuals serve as role models for our community.
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) 1-2 page nominee candidate statement addressing 1+ evaluation areas; (3) Three letters of support (please provide the writer with the nominee’s CV, and ideally the candidate statement, 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.
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 that benefits the Arabidopsis community
Outreach Activities/Initiatives that benefit the Arabidopsis community
Communication for Arabidopsis that benefits the Arabidopsis community
EXAMPLE PROMPTS TO CONSIDER WHEN NOMINATING AND/OR WRITING LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Innovative Teaching using Arabidopsis that benefits the Arabidopsis and/or other communities? Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their innovative teaching activities primarily involving Arabidopsis. Example prompts: What innovative teaching initiatives or approaches has the nominee engaged in/developed to benefit the Arabidopsis and/or other communities? How has their innovative teaching effort(s) resulted in positive impacts on the Arabidopsis and/or other communities?
Outreach Activities/Initiatives using Arabidopsis that benefits the Arabidopsis and/or other communities? Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their outreach activities that disseminate Arabidopsis knowledge beyond higher education. Example prompts: What has this nominee done to support Arabidopsis outreach to the public? What impacts- and on who/which communities- has this person had through their outreach efforts to disseminate Arabidopsis knowledge?
Communication using Arabidopsis that benefits the Arabidopsis and/or other communities? Nominees will be assessed by the breadth and/or depth of their communication activities that disseminate Arabidopsis knowledge. Example prompts: What ways has the nominee engaged in communication activities that help disseminate Arabidopsis knowledge? How has their communication effort(s) resulted in positive impacts on academia, plant biology communities, the public, and/or society?