SIMB Awards

SIMB has honored a number of members and others over the years at the SIMB Annual Meeting. Nominations are taken from members in March of each year and the awardees are chosen at the Spring Board of Directors meeting.

SIMB has expanded the Best Student Poster Presentation Award to five (5) awards (in biocatalysis, environmental microbiology, fermentation and cell culture, metabolic engineering, and natural products). There is an abstract submission deadline of June 1, 2013, for student oral and poster presentations.

Past Awardees

Download the list of past award winners.

List of SIMB Awards:

SIMB Industry Award

The SIMB Corporate Award recognizes: “Discovery, Innovation, and Development in Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology” and, within that framework, recognizes talent, creativity and innovation, and corporate leadership, over time, that have resulted in successful products that impact our world providing benefit to society.

Any active full or emeritus SIMB member can, with the concurrence of two other members, submit a candidate for consideration (to be pre-qualified) by the Committee. Nominations must be submitted to the Chair of Awards and Honors Committee no later than September 15, 2013.

Charles Thom Award

Download Thom Award Nomination Form PDF
This award is given to recognize individuals who have made one or more outstanding research contributions in industrial microbiology and/or biotechnology. These contributions should be of exceptional merit, reflecting an independence of thought and originality that adds appreciably to scientific knowledge. Activities such as journal editing, organizing and chairing conferences, and serving scientific societies in official capacities also may be considered when judging research contributions. However, the most important factor in selecting nominees for this Award is research accomplishments.
Deadline: March 31, 2013

Charles Porter Award

Download Porter Award Nomination Form PDF

This award recognizes those member(s) who have an outstanding record of sustained service to the Society for a period of seven or more years in various capacities such as a Society officer, chair of a standing or presidential committee, SIMB News editor-in-chief, JIMB editor-in-chief, Developments editor-in-chief, program chair, or other service to the Society acceptable to the committee and board; and have been an active member of SIM for 10 or more years.
Deadline: March 31, 2013

Waksman Outstanding Teaching Award

Download Waksman Award Nomination Form PDF

Noble Laureate Dr. Selman Waksman was an outstanding teacher of microbiology at Rutgers University, who maintained very cordial and effective relations with industry throughout his career as an academic scientist. The recipient shall have been an active full time professor at a recognized institution of higher education for a minimum of 10 years or has attained emeritus status. He/she shall have an active involvement in research in his/her teaching field while carrying a teaching load, and involvement in or contributing to research that leads to advances in his/her career of industrial or applied microbiology or biotechnology. The nomination must be supported by letters from three former undergraduate or graduate students or postdoctoral fellows who have careers of their own in microbiology or biotechnology.
Deadline: March 31, 2013

Fellowship Status

Download Fellowship Status Nomination Form PDF
Fellowship status is awarded in recognition of distinction in SIMB and constitutes a special grade of membership, acknowledging a sustained record of significant research and/or service contributions to the profession of applied microbiology. Any member of the Society at any time may nominate a member for consideration of Fellowship status. The nomination is submitted in writing to the chair of the Awards and Honors Committee and must be supported by two cosponsors, at least one of whom is also a member of the SIMB.
Deadline: March 31, 2013

Young Investigator Award

Download Young Investigator Award Nomination Form PDF

The nominee must be a member of SIMB and 35 years of age or younger at the time of nomination. He/She must have made a significant research contribution in industrial microbiology or biotechnology which indicates promise of a professional career of merit. The winner receives a certificate and funding to support the cost of attending the annual meeting.
Deadline: March 1, 2013

Best Student Oral Presentation Award

Attention academic advisors! Encourage your students to enter the Best Student Oral Presentation Contest. The student will indicate, during online abstract submission, whether he/she would like to be considered for oral presentation at the Student Oral Presentations Session. The oral presentations will be selected based on the submitted abstracts by the convener(s) of the oral presentation session and judged by the Awards and Honors Committee at the annual meeting. The winner receives a certificate and $500 to help cover travel to the meeting.
Deadline: June 15, 2013

Best Student Poster Presentation Awards

Attention academic advisors! Encourage your students to enter the poster presentation contest. The student will indicate, during online abstract submission, whether he/she would like to be considered for poster presentation awards and in what core area. Five Best Poster Presentation Awards will be given, one in each of the Society’s core areas (Biocatalysis, Environmental Microbiology, Fermentation and Cell Culture, Metabolic Engineering, and Natural Products). Posters will be judged onsite by the Awards and Honors Committee at the annual meeting. Each winner receives a certificate and $500 to help cover travel to the meeting.
Deadline: June 1, 2013