Hamilton Prize
The IUSSI honors a senior scientist at its quadrennial Congress with the Hamilton Prize. The highest honor we bestow, the Hamilton Prize recognizes lifetime achievement in the biology of social insects and is named in honor of the late Bill Hamilton. The recipient is chosen by an Award Selection Committee composed of the presidents of the sections or their designees and the Secretary General of the IUSSI. Recipients are individuals whose scientific contributions are profound, and who have broadly influenced colleagues and students. In 2006, Ross Crozier was chosen as the inaugural recipient, and Charles Michener took the prize in 2010. The Hamilton Prize carries with it a plaque and US$1000 honorarium. A call for nominations is issued once every four years, just prior to the quadrennial congress of the IUSSI.
West-Eberhard Prize for a Junior Scientist
The Mary Jane West-Eberhard Prize for a Junior Scientist was established by the IUSSI in 2018 and was awarded for the first time in 2022 to Patrick Kennedy. Members of all IUSSI sections are invited to nominate promising junior scientists from any section to represent those sections. Junior members of IUSSI sections in good standing can also self-nominate to their section. If necessary, each section ranks candidates and puts forward the highest-ranked candidate. The Secretary-General convenes a committee of Section Presidents, and this committee reviews all valid nominations to identify the winner. The successful candidate is given a slot at the next International Congress to present their work, and $750. A call for nominations is issued once every four years, just prior to the quadrennial congress of the IUSSI.
West-Eberhard Prize for Best Paper
To honor the legacy of Mary Jane West-Eberhard, this award is presented for the best first author peer-reviewed research article published by a student (undergraduate or graduate level) in the areas of social behavior and/or evolution in social arthropods at any time in 2023. The award shall consist of a certificate and a $1000 honorarium.
The recipient must have been a student at the time the work was completed, and must be a NAS-IUSSI member when nominated. The paper must have been published in 2023, and no more than two years after the recipient’s degree completion. Previous award recipients are not eligible for a second award. Nominations may be made by any IUSSI-NAS member, either the student or by others familiar with the student’s work.
The deadline for the 2024 applications was Apr 15. Please see the announcement for more information.
2024 Recipient – Taylor Hart (Awarded Paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
2023 Recipient – Kyle Gray (Awarded Paper: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14528)
George C. Eickwort Student Research Award
This award, named in honor of the late George Eickwort, recognizes outstanding research by a graduate or undergraduate student. The award, a certificate, a $1000 honorarium, and a one-year subscription to Insectes Sociaux, is given to the student who in the opinion of the award committee shows the most distinguished record of research and scholarly activity in the area of social insect biology. Any student member of IUSSI-NAS may be nominated. The student shall not have received a PhD or terminated studies earlier than 12 months prior to the award. Students continuing beyond a baccalaureate or masters degree will remain eligible. Previous award recipients are not eligible for a second award. The Eickwort Award carries with it a certificate and a US$1000 honorarium and the recipient will be honored at that year’s annual business meeting.
See the current call for applications. Due Oct 7, 2024.
2024 Recipient – Edward Hsieh
2023 Recipient – Mallory Hagadorn
2022 Recipient – Meghan Barrett
2021 Recipient- Madeleine Ostwald
2020 Recipient- Arjuna (Juni) Rajakumar
2019 Recipient – Beryl Jones
2018 Recipient – Waring (Buck) Trible
2017 Recipient – Brock A. Harpur
2016 Recipient – Marek Borowiec
2015 Recipient – Sabrina Amador Vargas
2014 Recipient – Sarah Lawson
2013 Recipient – Clint Penick
2012 Recipient – Adrian Smith
2011 Recipient – Sandra Rehan
2010 Recipient – Barrett Klein
2009 Recipient – Christian Rabeling
2008 Recipient – Christopher Smith
2007 Recipient – Sasha Mikheyev
2006 Recipient – Heather Mattila
2005 Recipient – Timothy Linksvayer
Robert L. and Louise B. Jeanne Social Wasp Research Grant
This grant is endowed by Robert L. and Louise B. Jeanne to encourage graduate student research into any aspect of the basic biology of social wasps. The recipient receives an award of up to US$2,500 to be applied towards covering research expenses, including equipment, travel for field work, and the hiring of field assistance. This is a competitive grant for which the applicant must submit a research proposal detailing the work that will be supported. The award will be given to the IUSSI-NAS student member whose research has the greatest potential to make a substantive contribution to our understanding of the basic biology of this group. Any graduate student member of IUSSI-NAS is eligible, as long as they have not yet completed their thesis work. Previous award recipients are not eligible for a second award. A call for proposals is issued in the Spring. The deadline for 2024 applications was Apr 15. Please see the announcement for more information.
2024 Recipient – Garrett Behrend
2022 – No submissions
2021 Recipient – Ryan Fortune
2020 Recipient- Meghan Barrett
2019 Recipient – Andrew Legan
2018 Recipient – Mateus Fajardo de Freitas Salviato Detoni
2017 Recipient -Katherine Fiocca
2016 Recipient – Cameron Fay
Jeffery P. La Fage Student Award for Applied Research on Social Insects
This award, established in memory of Dr. Jeffery Paul La Fage, recognizes a Ph.D. graduate student for their work on a species of social insect. Dr. La Fage, a Professor of Entomology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, studied the biology and control of the invasive subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus. The award will be given annually to the PhD student who, in the opinion of the award committee, shows the most distinguished record of research and scholarly activity on social insects with an applied emphasis. Work addressing control of social insect pests, or fostering beneficial social insects, is appropriate but the research must be aimed at solving an applied problem. Any PhD student member of IUSSI-NAS or ESA (Entomological Society of America) may be nominated so long as they have not have received a Ph.D. or terminated studies earlier than 12 months prior to the award. Previous award recipients are not eligible for a second award. The award carries with it a certificate and a US$500 honorarium, and the recipient will be recognized at that year’s annual business meeting.
See the current call for applications. Due Oct 7, 2024.
2023 & 2024 – No applications
2022 Recipient – Jordan Glass
2021 Recipient- Maggie Shanahan
2020 Recipient- Ashley St. Clair
2019 Recipient – Pierre Lau
2018 Recipient – Jayshree Patel
2017 Recipient – Elizabeth M. Walsh
2016 Recipient -Kaira Wagoner
2015 Recipient – Qian Karen Sun
2014 Recipient – Karl Glastad
Prior to 2014, the La Fage Award was given as a grant to promote research in insect pest species.
2013 Recipient – Brittany Delong
2012 Recipient – Paul Bardunias
2011 Recipient – Timothy J. Husen
2010 Recipient – Award Not Given
2009 Recipient – Nicola Gallagher
2008 Recipient – Neil A. Spomer
2007 Recipient – Alvaro Romero
2006 Recipient – Qiang Xu
2005 Recipient – Donald Oswalt
2004 Recipient – Marc Fisher
2003 Recipient – Catherine Long
2002 Recipient – Corey E. Campora
2001 Recipient – Karl Haagsma
2000 Recipient – Raj K. Saran
1999 Recipient – Kirsten A. Copren
1998 Recipient – James W. Austin
1997 Recipient – Thomas Guy Shelton
1996 Recipient – Hippolito O’Farrill-Nieves
1995 Recipient – Dini M. Miller
1994 Recipient – Brian J. Cabrera
1993 Recipient – Steven M. Valles
1992 Recipient – Brice A. McPherson
1991 Recipient – Faith Fujimoto-Oi
The Charles Michener Bee Research Grant
This grant is endowed by the IUSSI-NAS to encourage graduate student research on any aspect of the biology of bees, defined broadly as the Anthophila. The recipient receives an award of up to US$2,500 to be applied towards covering research expenses, including equipment, travel for field work, or the hiring of field assistants. This is a competitive grant for which the applicant must submit a research proposal detailing the work that will be supported. The award will be given to the IUSSI-NAS graduate student member whose research has the greatest potential to make a substantive contribution to our understanding of the biology of this group. Any graduate student member of IUSSI-NAS is eligible, as long as they have not yet completed their thesis work. Previous award recipients are not eligible for a second award. A call for proposals is issued in the Spring. The deadline for 2024 applications was April 15. Please see the announcement for more information.
2023 Recipient – Kristin Robinson
2022 Recipient – Katherine Odanaka
2021 Recipient – Kate Hunter
2020 Recipient- Madeleine M. Ostwald
2019 Recipient – Margaret Shanahan
William L. and Ruth D. Nutting Termite Research Grant
This grant is named in honor of the late Bill Nutting, an outstanding termite biologist who made major contributions to termite biology, both through his own research and mentoring of students, and in honor of Ruth Nutting for her support of Bill’s work. The purpose of the award is to foster research by graduate students in the field of basic termite biology. The recipient receives an award of up to US$2500 to be applied towards covering research expenses. This is a competitive grant for which students must submit research proposals detailing the work that will be supported. The award will be given to the IUSSI-NAS graduate student member, who in the opinion of the Student Award Committee, has the greatest potential to make a substantive contribution to the elucidation of basic termite biology. Any student member of IUSSI-NAS is eligible, so long as they have not yet completed their thesis work. Previous award recipients are not eligible for a second award. A call for proposals is issued in the Spring. The deadline for 2024 applications was April 15. Please see the announcement for more information.
2024 Recipient – Quanquan “Chan” Liu
2022 Recipient – Anugerah Fajar
2021 Recipient – Zach Balzer
2020 Recipient- Chris Albin-Brooks
2019 Recipient – Austin Merchant
2018 Recipient -Reina Tong
2017 – No applicants
2016 Recipient – Mark Janowiecki
2015 Recipient – Qian Karen Sun
2014 Recipient – Karl Glastad
2013 Recipient – Erin Cole
2012 Recipient – Tamara Hartke
2011 Recipient – Timothy K. O’Connor
Prior to 2010, the Nutting Award was given to recognize a graduating doctoral student that had made outstanding contributions to our understanding of termite biology during their thesis.
2009 Recipient – Thomas Chouvenc
2008 Recipient – Hou-Feng Li
2007 Recipient – Matthew Tarver
Tschinkel Ant Natural History Research Grant
This grant was endowed by Victoria and Walter Tschinkel to encourage graduate student research into basic natural history and biology of ants (in the broad sense), areas that have often been neglected. The thinking behind this grant program can be found in two essays: Tschinkel WR and Wilson EO (2014) Scientific natural history: telling the epics of nature, BioScience 64:438-443; and Tschinkel WR (2010) Back to basics: sociometry and sociogenesis of ant societies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecol. News 14:49-54. The recipient receives an award of up to US$2500 to be applied towards covering research expenses. This is a competitive grant for which students must submit research proposals detailing the work that will be supported. The award will be given to the IUSSI-NAS graduate student member whose research has the greatest potential to make a substantive contribution to ant natural history. Any student member of IUSSI-NAS is eligible, so long as they have not yet completed their thesis work. Previous award recipients are not eligible for a second award. A call for proposals is issued in the Spring. The deadline for 2024 applications was April 15. Please see the announcement for more information.
2024 Recipient – Karen Robles López
2022 Recipient – Samantha Kennett
2021 Recipient -Phoebe Koenig
2020 Recipient – Horace Zeng
2019 Recipient – Kip Lacy
2018 Recipient – Maya Reese
2017 Recipient – Kim Drager
2016 Recipient – Brian Haney
2015 Recipient – Brendon Boudinot
If you would like to donate to support these awards or our general fund, please go to our membership page (https://iussi.cyberbee.net/membershipx/member/) and donate via the methods shown.