Physiology Grants

American Physiological Society David S. Bruce Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

Deadlines for Application Submission
November 8, 2010 EB abstract deadline
January 10, 2011 application deadline

Bruce Award Support
APS is pleased to provide support for the Bruce Awards. In 2010, additional support was received from Dr. Isis, her ScienceBlogs readers, and SEED Magazine for two outstanding female undergraduate awards. Support was also received from the Central Nervous System Section.

To Apply
Go to http://www.the-aps.org/awardapps for online application
Information on the Experimental Biology meeting and abstract deadline

The David S. Bruce Awards are to recognize excellence in undergraduate research. They will be made each year at the Experimental Biology meeting to undergraduate students who have both submitted abstracts for the meeting and award application materials. Abstracts will be reviewed by the David S. Bruce Award Committee prior to the Experimental Biology (EB) meeting. The Education Committee will select finalists for interviewing. These students will be notified of their finalist status well in advance of the meeting.

The finalists will be asked to set up their posters one morning of the meeting and will be interviewed by the Bruce Award Subcommittee. After the interviews, the Committee will determine the final awardees. The awardees will receive $500 awards. All finalists will receive award certificates. At EB, all undergraduate students will be invited to present their research posters not only during their regular scientific session but also at a special poster session. Finalists will be honored and awardees will be announced at that poster session (usually on Sunday afternoon).

David Bruce (1939 – 2000) served as Chair of the APS Teaching Section and as a professor of physiology at Wheaton College from 1978-2000. Dr. Bruce was a dedicated physiology educator who played active roles in both the APS and the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society. As an undergraduate educator at Wheaton College, Dr. Bruce had a particular interest in engaging undergraduate students in scientific research. He not only encouraged and supported his students in participating in research, but he also regularly brought undergraduate students to the Experimental Biology meeting, often to present their research findings. In 2000, Dr. Bruce died at the age of 61 of complications following a kidney transplant. The David Bruce Award honors Dr. Bruce's commitment to promoting undergraduate involvement in research, in the APS annual meeting, and, ultimately, in research careers.

Eligibility

Applicants for the David S. Bruce Award must:

1. Be enrolled as an undergraduate student at the time of the application.
2. Be the first author on a submitted abstract for the EB meeting. Students may not submit more than one abstract for the award competition each year.
3. Be working with an APS member in good standing who attests that the student is deserving of the first authorship.
4. Have not previously won the David S. Bruce Award.
5. Upload a one-page letter that discusses his/her role in the research, the significance of the research, and his/her career plans.
6. Request a recommendation letter from your research advisor to be uploaded that includes a statement that you were deserving of first authorship.

Review Criteria for Abstracts

Abstracts and student letters will serve as the basis for selection of the finalists. Review criteria include the following:

1.The abstract displays a clear logic and flow of ideas.
2. The scientific problem includes a clear hypothesis to be tested, a well-described approach to the problem using clear experimental methods or model.
3. The results of the study are presented succinctly.
4.The discussion and/or conclusions are concise and follow logically from the results presented.
5.The student’s letter indicates that s/he played a significant role in the research, has an understanding of the significance of the research, and has some interest in a biomedical and/or physiology-related career.
6. The research advisor's recommendation letter.

Review Criteria for Poster Presentations

The Award Committee will interview the finalists during the special undergraduate poster session. The Awards Committee will consider:

1. Quality of the poster and oral presentation.
2. Quality of graphics used.
3. Organization of the poster.
4. Creativity used in displaying and describing the research as well as in the development of the research project.
5. Novelty of the research project.
6. Student display of his/her understanding of the work and its significance.

American Physiological Society Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Predoctoral Research Recognition Award

The Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Predoctoral Research Recognition Award ($500 plus reimbursement of the advance registration fee) provides support for travel expenses for junior investigators to attend the annual Experimental Biology Meeting. To be eligible, the investigator must be a pre-doctoral student. Applicants must be first author on an abstract submitted to an APS Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section topic category ( tbd) at the EB meeting. The Section Steering Award Committee will judge the abstracts and name 3 finalists who agree to travel to EB and present an oral presentation in a WEH sponsored session. All finalists will receive $500 and reimbursement of the annual meeting advance registration fee. Finalists will be judged on the presentation, and one student will receive the Research Recognition Award (an additional $500). Finalists will be recognized and the awardees will be named at the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Luncheon and Business Meeting at the EB meeting. Awardees must attend the Experimental Biology meeting in order to collect the cash prize. Applicants must provide a copy of their submitted abstract.

All application materials must be submitted by November 14, 2010.

American Physiological Society Juan Carlos Romero and Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Postdoctoral Research Recognition Award

The Juan Carlos Romero and Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Postdoctoral Research Recognition Award ($500 plus reimbursement of the advance registration fee) provides support for travel expenses for junior investigators to attend the annual Experimental Biology Meeting. To be eligible, the investigator must be a postdoctoral fellow. Applicants must be first author on an abstract submitted to an APS Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section topic category (tbd) at the EB meeting. The Section Steering Awards Committee will judge the abstracts and name 3 finalists who agree to travel to EB and make an oral presentation in a WEH sponsored session. All finalists will receive $500 and reimbursement of the annual meeting advance registration fee. Finalists will be judged on the presentation, and one fellow will receive the Juan Carlos Romero Research Recognition Award (an additional $500). Finalists will be recognized and the awardees will be named at the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Luncheon and Business Meeting at the EB meeting. Awardees must attend the Experimental Biology meeting, give an oral presentation, and must provide a copy of their submitted abstract in order to collect the cash prize.

All application materials must be submitted by November 14, 2010.

American Physiological Society Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section New Investigator Award

The Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section New Investigator Award ($1,000 plus reimbursement of the advance registration fee) recognizes an outstanding investigator in the early stages of his/her career. Candidates should be investigators who have made meritorious contributions to the area represented by the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section. They should not be above the rank of Assistant Professor or a comparable position in a research track at an academic institution or in industry (e.g. Scientist, Sr. Scientist, Research Investigator, etc.). Any member of the APS in good standing with a primary affiliation in the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section may apply or be nominated for the award.

Applications are reviewed by the Awards Committee of the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section and should include: (1) a curriculum vitae of the nominee; (2) a brief one-page summary and analysis of the research contributions of the nominee; (3) a complete list of publications; and (4) two letters of nomination from members of the APS. Candidates will be judged on their publications, how their publications relate to the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section and evidence for independence and promise (grant funding, peer review activities, etc.). The recipient of the award will present a short lecture on his/her research during one of the scientific sessions of the Experimental Biology meeting and will be invited to publish a manuscript on this presentation in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative & Comparative Physiology. Awardees must attend the Experimental Biology meeting in order to collect the cash prize and are recognized at the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Luncheon and Business Meeting

All application materials must be submitted by November 14, 2010.

American Physiological Society Teaching of Physiology Section Research Recognition Awards

The Teaching of Physiology Section Research Recognition Awards ($500 plus reimbursement of the advance registration fee) will provide two travel awards for outstanding posters presented in the Teaching Poster Sessions at Experimental Biology. To qualify for this award, the applicant must be first author on the poster, and age 40 or under or within 10 years of receiving the Ph.D. or M.D. Applicants must be APS regular, affiliate, or student members. Abstracts will be reviewed and rated by the Teaching Section Steering Committee. All poster abstracts must be formally submitted to EB by the abstract deadline. Applicants must upload a copy of the first-authored abstract. Awardees must attend the Experimental Biology meeting in order to collect the cash prize and are recognized at the Teaching of Physiology Section Business Meeting.

All application materials must be completed online by November 3, 2010.

American Physiological Society Teaching of Physiology Section New Investigator Award

The Teaching of Physiology Section New Investigator Award ($1,000 plus reimbursement of the advance registration fee) recognizes an outstanding investigator in the early stages of his/her career. Candidates should be investigators who have made meritorious contributions to the area represented by the Teaching of Physiology Section. They should not be above the rank of Assistant Professor or a comparable position in a research track at an academic institution or in industry (e.g. Scientist, Sr. Scientist, Research Investigator, etc.). They should receive nominations from at least two regular members of the APS. Candidates will be judged on their publications, how the publications relate to the Teaching of Physiology Section and evidence for independence and promise (grant funding, peer review activities, etc.).

Although this is not an abstract-based award, awardees are expected to attend EB and make an oral or poster presentation. The candidate must be an APS member in good standing with a primary affiliation in the Teaching of Physiology Section. Candidates must upload: curriculum vitae, 2 nomination letters from APS members, and 3 reprints. Awardees Awardees must attend the Experimental Biology meeting in order to collect the cash prize and are recognized at the Teaching of Physiology Section Business Meeting.

All application materials must be completed online by November 3, 2010.

American Physiological Society Teaching of Physiology Section Arthur C. Guyton Educator of the Year Award

The Arthur C. Guyton Educator of the Year Award sponsored by the W. B. Saunders Company [Elsevier] ($1,000 cash prize, complimentary registration to Experimental Biology 2010, a framed, inscribed certificate, and up to $750 in travel reimbursement to the Experimental Biology meeting) recognizes a full-time faculty member of an accredited college or university and member of the APS who has independent evidence of: (1) excellence in classroom teaching over a number of years at the undergraduate, graduate, or professional levels; (2) commitment to the improvement of physiology teaching within the candidate's own institution; and (3) contributions to physiology education at the local community, national or international levels. The awardee is requested to write an essay on his/her philosophy of education for publication in The Physiologist.

The typical nominee will have shown excellence in teaching and have made significant contributions in student advisement, graduate education, and/or curriculum design and reform at their institution. The activities that distinguish a candidate in the rankings include outreach activities at the state, national, or international level; contributions to education through APS activities; peer-reviewed educational journal articles; and widely disseminated publications such as commercially produced textbooks, lab manuals, or software.

Nominations Process: Each nominee must be nominated by a member of APS. The nominator should email a letter of support outlining the qualifications of the nominee no later than Friday, December 4, 2010 to: Jeffrey Kingsbury, Chair, Guyton Awards Selection Committee jeffrey.kingsbury@nau.edu

2012 Claude Bernard Distinguished Lectureship of the Teaching of Physiology Section of the American Physiological Society

The 2012 Claude Bernard Distinguished Lectureship of the Teaching of Physiology Section award is presented to an educator who is making outstanding contributions to teaching and learning as it relates to physiology education. The educator may be an APS member or a non-member nominated by a member. The awardee's talk is expected to further interest in and enhancement of educational practices that are relevant to teachers of physiology.

The award consists of a $1000 honorarium, up to $2000 travel reimbursement to Experimental Biology, complimentary registration to the meeting, and complimentary tickets to the Section dinner. Self-nomination is permitted for APS members. Nominators must upload a nomination letter and nominee's curriculum vitae by May 15, 2011.

American Physiological Society Respiration Section Research Recognition Awards

The Respiration Section Research Recognition Awards ($500 plus reimbursement of the advance registration fee) recognize outstanding research by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who submitted their abstract to an APS Respiration Section topic category at the Experimental Biology meeting. Applicants must upload a copy of their first-authored abstract. Awardees must attend the Experimental Biology meeting in order to collect the cash prize and are recognized at the Respiration Section Banquet.

All application materials must be completed online by November 10, 2010.

American Physiological Society Respiration Section New Investigator Award

The Respiration Section New Investigator Award ($1,000 plus reimbursement of the advance registration fee) recognizes an outstanding investigator in the early stages of his/her career. Candidates should be investigators who have made meritorious contributions to the area represented by the Respiration Section. They must not be above the rank of Assistant Professor or a comparable position in a research track at an academic institution or in industry (e.g. Scientist, Sr. Scientist, Research Investigator, etc.). Applicants must have been independent investigators for no more than 8 years at the time of submitting the application. They must receive nominations from at least two regular members of the APS. Candidates will be judged on their publications, how the publications relate to the Respiration Section, evidence for independence and promise (grant funding, peer review activities, etc.) and level of participation in Experimental Biology and APS-related activities.

Although this is not an abstract-based award, awardees are expected to attend the Experimental Biology meeting and make an oral or poster presentation. The candidate must be an APS member in good standing with a primary affiliation in the Respiration Section. Candidates must upload: curriculum vitae, 2 nomination letters from APS members, and 3 reprints. Awardees must attend the Experimental Biology meeting in order to collect the cash prize and are recognized at the Respiration Section Banquet.

All application materials must be completed online by November 10, 2010.