News

Bookmark and Share

This article is in the news archive.

Awards and Prizes for Engagement and Research on offer from BNA - nominate now!

The BNA recognises, promotes and supports neuroscientific excellence via a number of prize schemes. Read below for full details and past prize winners. 

*NEW* Sieratzki UK-Israel Prize for Advances in Neuroscience

We are excited to announce the launch of this new prize for post graduate and early career neuroscientists working in the UK and in Israel. 

General Information

The British Neuroscience Association (BNA) and the Israel Society for Neuroscience (ISFN) have partnered to create a prestigious Prize for Advances in Neuroscience which will encourage outstanding young scientists and forge international research collaboration.

The Prize is awarded to two UK and two Israeli scientists in alternate academicyears and in two categories:

  • The Young Researcher’s Prize 
    Awarded to outstanding PostDocs/Junior Academics who are up to 4 years post PhD (one winner from the UK and one from Israel).
  • The Early Career Researcher’s Prize 
    Awarded to outstanding PostDocs/Junior Academics from 4 to 8 years post PhD (one winner from the UK and one from Israel)

The Prize will be launched at the 2017 Meeting of the ISFN which will be held on 10 – 12 December 2017 in Eilat. Exceptionally, on this occasion of the launch, Prizes will be given to both UK and Israeli applicants at the same meeting.

In future years, the Prize will be given to UK winners at the ISFN meeting (next in December 2018 in Eilat) and to Israeli winners at the bi-annual BNA Festival (next in April 2019 in Dublin).

The Prize is sponsored by the Sieratzki Family.

The Award

  • The Young Researcher’s Prizes have a financial award of USD $3500 
  • The Early Career Researcher’s Prizes have a financial award of USD $5000.

In addition to this, awardees will be given a bursary of USD $1,250 to support one week’s travel in either the UK or Israel, and give a presentation at the country’s national neuroscience society meeting. 

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be formally affiliated with an Israeli or a British research institution and have done a major part of their research work at an Israeli or a British research institution.
  • Due consideration is given to British and Israeli scientists currently working abroad who are in the process to return to an Israeli or a British research institution.  
  • Applicants must be working in the field of neuroscience. This includes but is not limited to the study of the nervous system from molecular, cellular, developmental, structural, functional, evolutionary, computational, behavioural, and medical viewpoints.  Applications from clinician researchers are welcome.
  • Candidates for the Young Researcher’s Award, must have successfully completed their PhD not more than four years before the date of application. Candidates for the Early Career Researcher’s Award must have successfully completed their PhD no less than four years and not more than eight years before the date of application.
  • Multiple applications from laboratories / departments / institutions are acceptable; however individuals may submit only one application at a time.
  • Successful applicants will have already made a significant impact in their field of Neuroscience. 
  • Successful applicants must be willing to travel to the partnering country and present at their meetings, unless there are exceptional circumstances preventing travel.
  • These are one-time awards; a recipient of either the Young Researcher’s or Early Career Researcher’s Award is not eligible for either award in subsequent years.  

† Where the completion date of PhD means the date indicated in the PhD letter of approval (Israel) or the date of a successful PhD viva voce (UK).

Application Process

Deadline for applications: midnight 15th October 2017 (BST)

All applicants are assessed by a rigorous academic selection process overseen by senior researchers at the BNA and the ISFN. To apply, please read through all the eligibility critera and then please complete and send the following documents to sieratzkiprize@bna.org.uk by 15th October 2017:

  1. Application form (click to download)
  2. A research statement (max 1000 words)
  3. A curriculum vitae
  4. A short list of up to 5 most important publications with brief summary and impact factor
  5. Two letters of recommendation

Further information

The scheme is a collaboration of the BNA, the ISFN, the Sieratzki Family, UK Science & Innovation Network and the British Council. More information about the BNA and the ISFN can be found at:

Contact

For any questions regarding the Prize, please contact sieratzkiprize@bna.org.uk, +44 7584 01627.

 

Back to top

BNA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Neuroscience

This is the most prestigious of the BNA's awards.

Any member of the BNA can make a nomination for the BNA Outstanding Contribution to Neuroscience Award.  Candidates need not be members of the BNA, but nominations must be made and supported by BNA members.

Nominations should be sent by email to office@bna.org.uk by 31st October each year.  These should make a case for why the nominee should be recognised for their work in neuroscience.  If you have any questions please contact the BNA office. 

Past Winners

Year Outstanding Contribution to Neuroscience
2016 Professor David Ogden
Université Paris Descartes 
2015 Professor Angela Vincent
MBBS (Hon PhD Bergen) FRCPath FMedSci FRD, University of Oxford
2014 Professor Dame Kay Davies
CBE, DBE, F.MedSci., FRS. University of Oxford
2013 Professor Uta Frith
Professor of Cognitive Development
UCL Institute of  Neuroscience
2012 Professor Steven Rose
Emeritus Professor of Biology, Open University. Emeritus Professor of Phsick, Gresham College London. Visiting Professor, University College London.
2011 Sir Gabriel Horn FRS FRCP
Emeritus Professor of Zoology
University of Cambridge
2010 Not awarded
2009 FRS Professor Geoffrey Burnstock FRS
2008 FRS Professor Chris Frith FRS
2007 Professor John O'Keefe FRS
2006 Professor Horace Barlow FRS
2005 Professor Richard Gregory FRS
2004 Professor Geoffrey Raisman FRS
2003 Dr Tim Bliss
2002 Professor Richard Morris FRS FRSE
2001 Professor Colin Blakemore FRS
2000 Professor Patrick Wall FRS
First recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to British Neuroscience Award

Back to top

BNA Award for Public Engagement of Neuroscience

Any member of the BNA can make a nomination for the BNA award for public engagement.  Candidates need not be members of the BNA, but nominations must be made and supported by BNA members.

Nominations should be sent by email to office@bna.org.uk by 31st October each year.  These should make a case for why the nominee should be recognised for their work, in any capacity, in the field of public engagement in neuroscience. 

Past prize winners

Year Public Engagement of Neuroscience
2016 Dr Emma Robinson
University of Bristol. A full time neuroscientist who is also highly active in carrying out public engagement, and in facilitating other people to do so via the Bristol Neuroscience Festival. 
  Public Understanding of Neuroscience
2015

Professor Mark Lythgoe
University College London. TV and radio presenter, director of Cheltenham Science Festival.

2014 Science Media Centre
Fiona Fox, Chief Executive and Dr Edward Sykes, Senior Press Manager and Head of Mental Health & Neuroscience.
2013 Dr Jane Haley
Edinburgh Neuroscience Coordinator, University of Edinburgh
2012 Claudia Hammond
British author, occasional TV presenter, and frequent radio presenter with the BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4
2011 Oliver Sacks MD FRCP
Neurologist and Author; Columbia University, New York
2010 Ben Goldacre
Medical doctor, author and blogger
2009 Mary Baker MBE
2008 Sir Terry Pratchett
2007 Lord (David) Sainsbury of Turville
2006 Michael Robins
2005 Dr Mark Matfield
2004 European DANA Alliance for the Brain (EDAB)
2003 Lord (Jack) Ashley of Stoke
2002 Marjorie Wallace (SANE)
2001 Lord (Brian) Rix of Hornsea (MENCAP)
2000 Andrew Blake
1999 Julia Somerville
First recipient of the BNA Public Service Award

Back to top

BNA Undergraduate and Postgraduate Prizes

Each year, the BNA awards an undergraduate (£250) and a postgraduate (£500) prize to student BNA members. Our prize winners often, if not always, go on to be highly successful in their chosen fields, playing a leading role in neuroscience. 

Applicants for both postgraduate and undergraduate prizes must be current BNA members. All nominations should be sent by email to office@bna.org.uk by 31st October each year. We encourage you to nominate your students! 

The specific requirements for applicants can be found under the 'For members' section of the website.  Please get in touch with any questions

BNA Undergraduate and Postgraduate Prize Winners

Year Undergraduate Winner Postgraduate Winner
2016 Jointly awarded to:
Alina Gutoreva (University of Leeds)
Blair Wilson (University of Edinburgh)
Chen Song 
(University College London)
2015 Veselina Petrova
(University of Cambridge)
Kathryn Mills
(University College London)
2014 Lauren Byrne
(University of Edinburgh)
Linda Katona
(University of Oxford)
2013 Elina Jacobs
(University of Edinburgh)
Rumana Chowdhury
(University College London)
2012 Lewis Hou
(University of Edinburgh)
Dr Florence Rose Fricker
(King's College London)
2011 Kate Clark (University of Central Lancashire)
Special Commendation to Joseph Norris (King's College London)
Dr Christian Münch
(LMB, University of Cambridge)
2010 Owen Thomas (University of Birmingham)
Special Commendation to Sally Harris
(University of Bristol)

Dr Stephanie Burnett
(University College London)

2009 Not awarded Not awarded
2008 Phillip Goldrich
(University of Leeds)
Dr Lara Menzies
(University of Cambridge)
2007 Richard Hickman
(University of Birmingham)
Dr Rosamund Langston
(University of Edinburgh)
2006 Sophie Buglass
(University of Leeds)
Dr Karen Luyt
(University of Bristol)
2005 Jointly awarded to:
Luxmi Fatimathas (University College London) 
Matthew Martin (University of Bradford)
Dr Felipe Court
(University of Edinburgh)

Back to top

Posted on 27/09/2017

Further news

Go to the news index page.