The International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI) is a worldwide scientific society devoted to promoting the study of social arthropods. The IUSSI offers a number of awards and grants for graduate student scientists whose research focuses on social insects.
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. The next quadrennial congress of the IUSSI is in Aug 2026.
West-Eberhard Prize for a Junior Scientist
The IUSSI honors a junior scientist at its quadrennial Congress with the West-Eberhard Prize, named in honor of Mary Jane West-Eberhard. The prize 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. The next quadrennial congress of the IUSSI is in Aug 2026.
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. The award consists 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 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.
George C. Eickwort Student Research Award
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.
Robert L. and Louise B. Jeanne Social Wasp Research Grant
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.
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. 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.
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.
William L. and Ruth D. Nutting Termite Research Grant
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.
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 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.
Fellowship Website:
https://iussi.cyberbee.net/awards/