Faculty Awards

The Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience annually recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to undergraduate neuroscience. These awards (described below) are based on peer nominations and are announced at the FUN Social at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. (Looking for student travel awards? Go to travel awards)

Status: The 2026 Call for Faculty Awards is now open

Letters of nomination from at least one regular FUN member are needed for each FUN award. Every FUN member in good standing can nominate one other FUN member for one award. In the case of the same candidate for multiple awards, separate letters of nomination for each award are required. Independent applications from multiple FUN members supporting the same applicant are welcome.

The nomination letter shall consist of a single PDF on institutional letterhead with a strict two-page limit. No CVs, no supplemental materials will be considered. Letters cannot be coauthored by other FUN members or students, but quotes and feedback from faculty and students can be included in the letter with consent. Applications should be sent to by email with last name of nominee and award in subject line (e.g., Illig- Service Award, Bondi-Carol Ann Paul, etc.) by September 15th, 5pm pacific time.

For the FUN service award, consideration will be based on the nomination letter, supplemented with support from the FUN executive board and/or committees. All other awards will be based on the evidence presented by nomination letters only. Specific recommendations on the format and what to include in the letters of nomination for each award are listed below.

For the FUN Service Award, the letters should specifically speak to the nominee’s service affiliated with the FUN organization in both the official (e.g., officers, committee chairs/members, JUNE editors) and/or unofficial capacities. In most cases, there is no need to include supporting evidence, which can be usually corroborated with FUN reports and meeting minutes.
For the Carol Ann Paul FUN Educator of the Year Award, the letters should include clear evidence of pedagogical interventions which may include, but not limited to, active learning techniques, experiential learning, cross-disciplinary learning, and/or CUREs. The letters should speak specifically to how the notable efforts in pedagogy were sustained in multiple settings and include any positive feedback from colleagues and/or students.
For the FUN Mentor Award, the letters should include detailed examples of how the nominee supported students or early-career faculty/researchers in their career trajectory, especially in the undergraduate neuroscience space and how mentee(s) outcomes (education, professional, etc.) benefited from this mentorship. Nomination letters should include mentorship examples as a body of work rather than an individual instance of mentorship.
For the Neuroscience Champion Award, the letters should specifically speak to how the nominee’s work has made undergraduate neuroscience education more accessible, welcoming, and/or attainable. Notable efforts to broaden participation and to promote inclusive excellence in undergraduate neuroscience education may include enacting equitable administrative policies, developing novel educational or professional development programming, implementing evidence-based inclusive teaching approaches, and/or fostering belonging and success for all students through culturally aware mentorship practices.
For the Career and Lifetime Achievement Award, the letters should specifically speak to the breadth and depth of impact from the nominee’s singular achievements and/or sustained efforts across years.

Frequent Q/A:

1. What is the timeline of nomination, selection and announcement?
Each year, the faculty award committee will determine the timeline and means of soliciting nominations, selecting and announcing winners. Historically, the winners have been mostly announced at the FUN Business Meeting or Social at the SfN annual meetings. Therefore, the whole process is usually initiated at least two months prior to the SfN annual conference.

2. Will the committee hold nominations for more than one year for consideration?
The committee will hold nominations for 3 years for the consideration of the same award upon the nominator’s request.

3. Is there any recusal protocol to ensure fairness in the selection process?
Yes, there is. Committee members are requested to recuse themselves from evaluating a specific award category if they have any conflict of interest (e.g., family members or mentor/mentee) with one of the nominees. If more than half of the committee recuse themselves from judging any award category, additional members will be recruited to serve on the committee to select the winner for that award.

Still have questions? Questions regarding nominations can be sent to the FUN Award email.

Criteria for Awards and Past Awardees:

Carol Ann Paul FUN Educator of the Year Award
The Educator Award is given annually to a regular FUN member in recognition of notable efforts related to promoting effective teaching of neuroscience at the undergraduate level. Notable efforts include significant pedagogical advances in the classroom (either in-person or online) and the teaching lab, including Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) courses.

2025 Maureen Rutherford
2024 Kelly Lambert
2023 Chris Swart
2022 Ashley Juavinett
2021 Stefan Pulver
2020 Christina Ragan
2019 Monica Linden
2018 Lorenz Neuwirth
2016 Elaine Reynolds
2015 Mary Morrison
2014 Wes Colgan
2013 Michael Ruscio and Christopher Korey
2012 Patsy Dickinson
2011 Dorothy Kozlowski
2010 Amanda Clinton
2009 Mark Bradford
2008 Alan Gittis
2007 Ann E. Stuart and Andrew Mickley
2006 Robert Wyttenbach
2005 Richard Olivo
2004 Mary Lou Caspers
2003 Cheryl Frye
2002 Barbara Lom
2001 Bruce Johnson, Carol Ann Paul, and JoAnn Berger-Sweeney

FUN Mentor Award
The Mentor Award is awarded from time to time, to regular FUN members in recognition of their outstanding contributions as mentors for young neuroscientists. Some examples of contributions include research mentorship of students that result in conference presentations and/or successful postgraduate education/career progression; guidance of early-career researchers/faculty resulting in beneficial career outcomes.

2025 David Jewett
2024 Corina Bondi
2023 Shubhik DebBurman
2022 Tamily Weissman-Unni
2021 Laura Been
2020 Valerie Haftel
2019 Amy Jo Stavnezer
2017 Adam Johnson
2016 Lora Becker
2015 Anthony Kline
2014 Barbara Lom
2012 Leslie Sargent-Jones
2011 Julio Ramirez
2009 Gary Muir, Shelly Dickinson, and Eric Wiertelak
2006 Malathi Srivatsan
2000 Dale Sengelaub

FUN Service Award
The Service Award is given annually to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts towards the continuing operations and development of FUN as an organization.

2025 Elaine Reynolds
2024 Kurt Illig
2023 Raddy Ramos and Rachael Murdock
2022 Amy Jo Stavnezer
2021 Lorenz Neuwirth
2020 Alo Basu, Jason Chan, Yuanyuan (Connie) Kang, Melanie Leussis
2019 David Jewett
2018 Fern Duncan
2017 Bob Calin-Jageman and Irina Calin-Jageman
2016 Jeffrey Smith
2015 Jennifer Yates
2014 Jean Hardwick
2013 Ronald Bayline
2012 Bob Calin-Jageman
2011 Karen Parfitt and Gary Dunbar
2009 Barbara Lom
2008 Gayle Brosnan-Watters

FUN Neuroscience Champion Award
The FUN Neuroscience Champion Award is given from time to time, to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary efforts promoting diversity and inclusivity in undergraduate neuroscience education. Outstanding support of diversity may include the development of programs that substantially enhance the advancement of students and/or faculty from diverse backgrounds, successful and inclusive mentoring of diverse students and/or faculty, or fostering inclusive classroom/laboratory environments for all to succeed in science.

2025 Mays Imad
2024 Jenn Honeycutt
2023 Veronica Martinez Acosta
2022 Alo Basu
2021 Julio Ramirez

FUN Career and Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Career and Lifetime Achievement awards (combined starting in 2025) are FUN's highest honor. It is awarded occasionally to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts on behalf of undergraduate neuroscience education and research. Outstanding efforts may include singular achievements that have provided wide benefit to the undergraduate neuroscience community, or sustained efforts across years.

Career and Lifetime Achievement Awardees

2025 Elaine Reynolds

Lifetime Achievement Awardees

2023 Barbara Lom
2022 Patsy Dickinson
2021 Erik Wiertelak
2019 J. Timothy Cannon
2015 Steven Zottoli
2014 Carol Ann Paul
2012 Steven George
2011 Andrew Mickley
2010 Alan Gittis
2009 Andy Sinauer
2008 Jeanne Narum
2006 Ron Hoy
2004 Jeff Wilson
2003 Gary Dunbar
2002 Dennison Smith
2002 Jack Boitano

Career Achievement Awardees

2022 Leah Chase
2021 Ron Bayline
2020 William Grisham
2019 Shubhik DebBurman
2016 Wesley P. Jordan and Douglas Weldon
2015 Lee Coates
2014 Bruce Johnson
2013 Edward Bilsky
2012 Richard Olivo
2010 Michael Kinder
2007 Eric Wiertelak
2006 Eric Chudler
2005 Felix Schweizer
2004 Debbie Colbern
2001 Julio Ramirez

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