The application deadline was April 15. Applicants will be notified of decisions by August 1.

For an overview of the selection process, criteria, and more, please see the FAQs

In recognition of the groundbreaking contributions of Dr. Rosalind Franklin, the Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award for research in genetics is intended to inspire and support new generations of women in our field. The awards are made to women in the first one to three years of an independent faculty-level position whose work displays originality and scientific creativity leading to new discoveries.

Women may nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague, mentor, or department. The Rosalind Franklin Award is intended to honor independence and creativity in science in one's developing years.

The Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award is funded by The Gruber Foundation, and is administered by the Genetics Society of America. Award winners are chosen by a jury of senior geneticists and previous awardees.

Every three years, two women are chosen to receive the Rosalind Franklin Award, and each awardee receives $75,000 over three years ($25,000 per year). One award funds genetics research in human and non-human mammals, and another award funds genetics research in non-mammalian organisms.

Recipients

Frequently Asked Questions

THE PROCESS

All applications, CVs and letters of recommendation are processed online.  No printed copies of any of these materials will be accepted.

If you are having a problem uploading the CV or a referee is having a problem uploading a letter of recommendation, please contact: society@genetics-gsa.org.

GENERAL SELECTION CRITERIA

Among the criteria reviewers may consider in evaluating a nomination:

• Is the nominee clearly building on her expertise through the years?
• Does she show scientific creativity and leadership?
• Does she have demonstrated independence in developing her scientific  research?
• Has she made seminal discoveries on her own?

AWARD DATES AND TERMS

What are the start and end dates of the award?
The award winner will receive $25,000 per year beginning in the year following the application and ending two years later. For this next round, award money will be received in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Is the award money given to the individual or the institution that the individual is with?

These awards are unrestricted, with the limitations listed below, and may be used for any purpose that advances the genetics research of the recipients. Payment may be made to the recipients directly or to their research institutions. If recipients choose to receive payments themselves, they are responsible for all applicable taxes on the monies.

Are there any restrictions on the use of the funds?

Funds may be used only for expenses related to the recipient's research program and may not be used to support the recipient's salary or to support institutional overhead or indirect costs. Research supported by these funds must meet all applicable legal, ethical, and regulatory standards.

ELIGIBILITY

Who is eligible for the award?
This award is for young female independent investigators from anywhere in the world; US citizenship is not required.  As an independent investigator, the nominee should be directing her own laboratory and be listed as the Principal Investigator for research being published from her laboratory.

Is there an age limitation for applicants?

Although there is no age limit for applicants, the award is targeted at women who are in the beginning stage of an independent research career.  The objective is to support women who will be starting or have just started their own independent lab and will be the principal investigator on the research from that lab.  Most likely, these will be women who have recently finished their postdoctoral research and are moving forward in their careers.

Do you "stop the clock" for maternity leave?

Yes.  If a nominee has passed the three-year deadline because she has taken time off for maternity leave within the first three years of an independent position, we will take that into account and consider her eligible for the award.

The nominee has just finished her postdoctoral research and has not yet found a position at a research institution.  Is she eligible for the award?
The award is designed for a researcher who is already in or about to be in an independent research position.  If a woman does not yet know where she will be located, she is not eligible for the award.

The nominee has just finished her postdoctoral research and has just accepted a position at a research institution as of January.  Is she eligible for the award?
Yes.  If a nominee already has an offer that she has accepted to begin an independent research lab at any point in time from June 2018 to January 2019—when the award is officially distributed—then she is eligible for the award.

The nominee has not had a postdoctoral position, but went straight from her PhD to an assistant research professor position.  From there she went to a position where she now directs her own lab. Is she eligible for the award?
As long as she is within the first three years of an independent position, she is eligible. If she will be entering her fourth year between June 2018 and January 2019, she is not eligible for the award.  The purpose of this award is to provide seed money to help a female investigator establish independent research in her own lab.

Does the nominee need to be Board certified in genetics in order to be eligible? 
No.  Board certification in genetics is not a requirement for nomination.

The nominee is an independent researcher within the first three years of directing her own lab, but she is not on the tenure track. Is she eligible for the award?
Yes.  As long as she is within the first three years of her faculty appointment and she is doing independent research, she is eligible for the award, even if she is not on a tenure track.

REFERENCES/RECOMMENDATIONS

The nomination requires two letters of reference.  It is recommended that these references be written by people who are familiar with the nominee’s work and can document how distinguished she is as an individual scientist more than her importance as a member of a good team of scientists.  In addition, the letter of recommendation should speak of the nominee's scientific creativity and leadership skills within the lab.

Do the references need to be Board certified in order to give the nominee a recommendation?
No.  References are not required to be Board certified in genetics in order to write a recommendation.  Research in genetics is sufficient.

You ask for two recommendation letters.  I would like to submit a third.  May I?
No.  There is no provision for including more than two letters of recommendation.

COMPLETING THE NOMINATION FORM

Do I have to include a budget with the nomination?
No.  Although a stipulation of the Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award is that it cannot be used toward salary for the recipients, it is considered an individual prize, rather than an institutional research grant.  Therefore, a budget does not need to be included with the nomination.

Should I include figures in the explanation of the nominee's current research? 
Space is limited to 700 words and figures may take up a sizeable amount of this space. Unless the figure will clarify the research without adding significantly to the word count, we recommend that you do not include figures.

Should I include a reference list in the research description?
No. Since space is limited, we recommend that you do not include a list of references with the description of research.