The Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize is awarded annually by the Society for the Study of Evolution to recognize the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding young evolutionary biologist. The prize was established in memory of Professor Dobzhansky by his friends and colleagues, and reflects his lifelong commitment to fostering the research careers of young scientists.
We consider candidates working on all areas of evolutionary biology, broadly defined. We are specifically looking for candidates that take creative approaches to answering pressing questions in evolutionary biology. We will consider people working on any taxonomic group (i.e., plants, animals, fungi, microbes, etc.) and who take empirical and/or theoretical approaches. We value diversity, and are seeking a broad and diverse applicant pool from all axes and components of diversity in the evolutionary biology community.
The candidate must have a Ph.D. (or equivalent) awarded no earlier than May 2016 and no later than February 1, 2020, and must be actively involved in research in the field of evolutionary biology. There are no other restrictions. Applicants do not have to be members of the Society for the Study of Evolution, but membership is encouraged.
Candidates may apply directly or may be nominated. Each candidacy must be supported by the following materials detailing the candidate's career to date:
(1) a curriculum vitae
(2) a summary of research accomplishments of up to 3 pages
(3) a statement of up to 4 pages of research plans for the next 5 years (note length limitation)
(4) pdf copies of three recent publications
(5) three reference letters*
*On the application form, you will be asked for the names and email addresses of three references who can provide letters of support for the candidate. References should send their letters via email to John Stinchcombe at secretary@evolutionsociety.org by January 31, 2020.
Note: Be sure to hit “Complete” after filling out the nomination form in order to submit your nomination!
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DEADLINE: 11:59 PM Pacific Time (GMT-7:00), January 31, 2020
The Dobzhansky Prize is accompanied by a check for U.S. $5000, and will be awarded at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution, 2020, in Cleveland, OH, USA. The recipient is expected to be present to receive the award and to give an oral presentation about his/her research. To facilitate attendance, the SSE provides funds to cover the costs of conference registration, accommodation during the conference, and expenses for travel to and from the conference. The recipient will be notified of the award in late March.
Congratulations to the 2019 Dobzhansky Prize Winner, Dr. Matthew Pennell. Dr. Pennell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Canada Research Chair in Biodiversity Theory and Informatics. His research uses theory, statistical methods, and computational tools to investigate how ecological and evolutionary processes operating across deep time shape patterns of biodiversity. Prior to his appointment as assistant professor, Dr. Pennell was an Izaak Killam Memorial and NSERC postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Zoology at UBC. He also worked as a Graduate Fellow at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, NC. He received his PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Idaho and his bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. He received a Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Naturalists in 2016. Dr. Pennell’s research has been published in the journals Evolution, Nature, Systematic Biology, The American Naturalist, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, New Phytologist, PLoS Genetics, and Journal of Ecology, among others.
Past Dobzhansky Prize winners:
| 1990 | Erik Greene | 2000 | Thomas Lenormand | 2010 | Fyodor Kondrashov | |||||
| 1981 | Douglas R. Cavener | 1991 | Jonathan Losos | 2001 | Alexander Badyaev | 2011 | Joel McGlothlin | |||
| 1982 | Elizabeth Anne Zimmer | 1992 | Barry Sinervo | 2002 | Howard Rundle | 2012 | Daniel Rabosky | |||
| 1983 | Anthony J. Zera | 1993 | H. Allen Orr | 2003 | Daven Presgraves | 2013 | Rowan D. H. Barrett | |||
| 1984 | Robb F. Leary | 1994 | David Haig | 2004 | Aneil Agrawal | 2014 | Daniel Matute | |||
| 1985 | Joshua J. Schwartz | 1995 | David Begun | 2005 | Daniel Bolnick | 2015 | Katie Wagner | |||
| 1996 | Rufus A. Johnstone | 2006 | Russel Bonduriansky | 2016 | Mary Caswell Stoddard | |||||
| 1987 | Ary A. Hoffmann | 1997 | Massimo Pigliucci | 2007 | Franziska Michor | 2017 | Molly Schumer | |||
| 1988 | Steven A. Frank | 1998 | Christian P. Klingenberg | 2008 | Patrik Nosil | 2018 | Amanda Kyle Gibson | |||
| 1989 | Bernard J. Crespi | 1999 | Jason B. Wolf | 2009 | Judith Mank |