OSSD Awards

The OSSD is deeply committed to the advancement and support of trainee members.  The OSSD currently offers numerous awards to trainees, with the goal of supporting a diverse attendance at our annual meeting. Trainees must be the presenting author and are current OSSD members (or choose to become a member prior to receiving the award) to apply for these awards. The Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award and multiple types of Travel Awards will be decided before the meeting based on submitted abstracts by the Awards Committee. We will also offer Poster Awards including the Florence P. Haseltine Best Poster Awards, which will be decided at the meeting based on evaluation of poster presentations. Finally, we will offer Undergraduate Attendee Awards to cover membership costs and attendance at the meeting by interested undergraduates from underrepresented minority groups.

Congratulations! 2024 Award Recipients
 

Awards:

Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award is awarded to trainee members* at institutions within the United States that have a substantial story to tell regarding the effects of sex and/or gender on health and disease. A high point at OSSD annual meetings is the Elizabeth Young New Investigator Symposium, at which several young investigators (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or residents) are invited to present their research and receive an award in Dr. Young's honor. Applications for this award must include a CV. The award will cover meeting registration costs and include an honorarium. 3-4 awards will be given.

Travel Awards are awarded to trainee members* at institutions within the United States and are determined based on average abstract review scores. We will also take self-identified ethnic, gender, or other identified minority status into consideration when deciding applications, as the OSSD is deeply committed to promoting and broadening diverse backgrounds and perspectives in our annual meeting. We strongly encourage trainees from historically excluded or underrepresented minority groups to apply. Applications for this award must include a CV, and if applicable, a description of how the applicant identifies as URM. The award will cover meeting registration costs and include an honorarium. 

CIHR Institute of Gender and Health (IGH) Travel Awards will be offered to trainees at Canadian institutions to promote cutting-edge research that integrates sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a socio-cultural determinant of health.  Applications open October 29, 2024.  More details and application site will be released soon.

Undergraduate Attendee Awards are awarded to undergraduate students who are from underrepresented minority groups as defined by NIH (individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups, individuals with disabilities or individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds) who are interested in research in the area of sex differences and would like to attend the meeting. In lieu of an abstract, students should provide a short paragraph describing 1) how they identify as an underrepresented minority and 2) why they are interested in attending the OSSD conference. Students should also submit a CV or resume as part of their application. These awards will cover membership costs and the registration fee for the meeting.  A limited number of awards will be given so apply early. Applicants do not need to be a member to apply for this award.


ORWH Policy Travel Awards is an opportunity for the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) and OSSD to work together to further turn sex as a biological variable (#SABV) into policy change.

This will be awarded to two applicants who are a junior investigator (including Assistant Professors) interested in research policy to support them in their focus on women and sex/gender differences. Examples include, but are not limited to: (1) studies of the effects of these policies in promoting research, (2) identification of policy gaps that might promote such research and projection of their effects, or (3) identification of specific research disciplines and/or research topic areas where more work is needed to promote women and sex/gender differences.

ORWH requests that interested investigators submit an abstract on a policy-related matter connected to women’s health or sex and gender differences for consideration as a poster, oral session, or symposium at the OSSD Annual Meeting. The award will consist of $3,000 USD to support their travel and attendance at the meeting. A panel of experts will review the abstracts, and the author of the chosen abstract will receive the travel award. Attending the OSSD meeting will be a unique opportunity for investigators to network with leading scientists and clinicians working to advance sex and gender inclusion and policy. The deadline for NIH ORWH Science Policy Scholar Travel Award is February 3, 2025. The award recipient will be announced in March 2025. Flyer coming soon.


SWHR Emerging Scholars in Women’s Health Research Awards will be offered to three trainee members* (master, PhD/MD student, or postdoctoral fellow/resident) of US citizenship whose abstracts demonstrate research excellence in addressing important knowledge gaps in health and disease areas that disproportionately, differently, or exclusively affect women. Each of the awards will consist of $1,000 USD to support their travel and attendance at the meeting. Awardees must agree to attend the Annual Meeting and orally present their research during a symposium hosted by the Society for Women’s Health Research. 2025 Awards should center on Brain Health & Women. Examples of abstract topics might include, but are not limited to: neuroscience, pain, developmental neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, mental health, and behavioral neuroscience.


 

NEW!! BoSD Early Career Award is awarded for the best paper published in Biology of Sex Differences* by an early career investigator (graduate students, post-doc, investigators up to 6 years after training completion). Nominations will include a brief nomination letter, manuscript and CV. Award is $1000 USD travel funds for the OSSD meeting.

Springer Nature is sponsoring the Biology of Sex Differences (BoSD) Early Career Award for the best paper published in BoSD each year.

Nominations are now being accepted for two awards:

  • 2024 Award for articles published in BoSD from January 2021 through August 2023 
  • 2025 Award for articles published in BoSD from September 2023 through August 2024

Two awards will be given at OSSD 2025 

Winners will give talks at OSSD 2025 and receive a $1000 travel award to the OSSD meeting in Albuquerque, NM June 1-5, 2025.

  • Nominee will be first author or senior author on a paper published in BoSD - co-first authors may be nominated and split the award/talk AND
  • Graduate students at time of manuscript submission OR
  • Post-docs at time of manuscript submission OR
  • Investigators up to 6 years after training completion (post-doctoral/residency) at time of award (OSSD meeting) 

Deadline 1st September 2024 for nomination

Send a brief nomination letter, the manuscript & CV to Jill B. Becker, EIC [email protected]


Poster Awards:

Florence P. Haseltine Best Poster Awards will recognize the most outstanding poster presentations and will be determined during the meeting. All poster presentations by trainee members* (undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs/residents) are eligible. Awards will be $200 USD.

CIHR Institute of Gender and Health Poster Awards will also be offered to trainees affiliated with Canadian research institutions, in recognition of the best integration of sex- and gender-based analyses into their research study.  3 awards will be given. Awards will be $250 CAD.

Best Poster Award at OSSD Meeting from Biology of Sex Differences The journal would like to highlight and support work performed by young investigators (including Assistant Professors) attending the meeting. Winners will be announced at the meeting and will be featured in a blog post highlighting their work. They will also receive an APC waiver for their next submission to the journal.

*To be to be eligible for trainee awards, you must be an undergrad, master, PhD/MD student or a Postdoctoral Fellow/Resident at the time of the meeting. Faculty (such as Assistant Professors) are not eligible for these awards. Additionally, you must be a member of OSSD or become a member prior to receiving the award.

 

See more information about these awards: