GPN Awards

The Morris Smithberg Memorial Prize

The Morris Smithberg Memorial Prize is presented annually to the outstanding first year student in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. The Prize is awarded to the student who has the best performance in the first year core courses and on the comprehensive written exam given at the end of the first year. The Prize is presented to the recipient before a large group of neuroscientists at a Neuroscience Colloquium each fall. The Prize includes a plaque for the student, the addition of the recipient's name to the permanent plaque on display in the lobby of the Basic Science/ Biomedical Engineering Building and $2000. The funds can be used by the recipient for any item of equipment, training or travel that will improve the recipient's graduate career.

Sping and Ying Ngoh Lin Award

The Sping and Ying Ngoh Lin Award is intended to acknowledge exceptional scholarly activity of its students. Awards will be made upon submission of appropriate documentation to the chair of the Awards Committee.

Full Length Paper
A GPN student who is the first author of a full length paper that is accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal before the beginning of her/his fourth year (defined as September 1) will receive $500. The funds can be used by the recipient for any item of equipment, training or travel that will improve the recipient's graduate career. Documentation will be a copy of acceptance of the manuscript for publication by the journal.   Students will receive the same amount for each qualifying paper. Shorter papers appearing in a high impact journal, as judged by the Awards Committee, may also qualify for this award.

Research Independence
A GPN graduate students who exhibit research independence and excellence by successfully obtaining their own grant or fellowship will receive $1000. The funds can be used by the recipient for any item of equipment, training or travel that will improve the recipient's graduate career. The award will be made upon submission of a copy of the Notice of Grant Award to the chair of the Awards Committee.

The Stark Award for Advanced Scholarship

The goals of the Stark Award are to support students in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience

  1. During advanced training in a specific technique in a laboratory in the U.S. or abroad
  2. Training in a formal course such as those given at Woods Hole
  3. For travel to a small, specialty conference.

Student Engagement Award

The Student Engagement Award is presented annually to a graduate student who has demonstrated exceptional engagement with a community outside of the University of Minnesota. The award consists of a $500 cash prize and a certificate of recognition, presented at the annual program retreat. The nomination/award process is as follows.

Nominations are solicited in early December of each year. Self-nominations are accepted.

The nomination package consists of: 

  • A 500-word statement by the nominee about their engagement philosophy
  • A letter of support or appreciation from a community partner (library, school, museum, community center, etc.) with whom the student has built a relationship.

Nomination deadline is January 15 of each year. Submit nominations via email to Cheryl Olman (caolman .at. umn.edu).

Nominations are considered by the GPN Awards Committee, joined by 2 ad hoc members (1 student, 1 faculty or staff) from the GPN Engagement Committee. 

This award is generously funded by the Department of Neuroscience.

Faculty or Staff Engagement Award

The Faculty Engagement Award is presented annually to a faculty member or staff member (including post-doctoral associates) affiliated with the Graduate Program in Neuroscience who has demonstrated exceptional engagement with a community outside of the University of Minnesota. 

The award consists of a $500 cash prize and a certificate of recognition, presented at the annual program retreat. 

The nomination/award process and funding is identical to that described above for the student award.