Society Awards

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To honor those BPS members who inspire and elevate the biophysics community.

Nominations are now closed for the 2026 award cycle. Submission Deadline was May 1, 2025 11:59 PM USA Eastern.

Mission Statement of the Awards and Fellows Program:
The Biophysical Society Awards Program celebrates individuals whose achievements and contributions exemplify the best in our field and inspire us all. By recognizing excellence in discovery, innovation, education, mentorship, and service, the program honors those who personify integrity within our global community. BPS awardees serve as beacons for our discipline, embodying the curiosity, rigor, and commitment that strengthen the foundation of biophysics worldwide.

Rules:

Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
No one may win any award twice.
All requirements for an award must be met at the time of nomination.
Self-nominations are accepted for all award categories except for Fellows and Doctoral Research Award.
Current Council members may not be nominated for any Society Award or the Fellows designation while serving. Awards Committee members may not be nominated for Society Awards while serving.
All nominees and award recipients will be guided by both the BPS Ethics Guidelines and the Awards and Fellows Revocation Policy.

Nomination packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here.
For specific information and eligibility requirements, click on the individual award categories.

Advice for nominators:

For a helpful guide on how to craft an effective nomination letter, check out this blog post from the Committee for Professional Opportunities for Women.
Have all required materials ready when starting the online nomination process.
After uploading all required nomination items, be sure to click “Finish” on the lower right or your nomination will not be received.
If you receive an error message when attempting to start an application, please click here to see if there is an existing application associated with your account. To complete an existing application, choose Options, then Edit.

Award in Membrane Protein Biophysics for outstanding contributions that advanced the field of membrane protein biophysics

2026 Awardee

Yifan Cheng

University of California, San Francisco, USA

About the Award

For outstanding contributions that advanced the field of membrane protein biophysics. The Award in Membrane Protein Biophysics, designed to promote membrane protein studies and recognize excellence in the field, was established by the BPS in 2008 as the Anatrace Membrane Protein Award and was funded by Anatrace Inc. through 2026. It was renamed the Award in Membrane Protein Biophysics for the 2027 award cycle. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of membrane protein research including but not limited to studies of the structure, biochemistry, or biological function of membrane proteins.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted for this award.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nomination packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); Any CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Paula J. Booth
2024: Susan K. Buchanan
2023: Krzysztof (Kris) Palczewski
2022: William Dowhan
2021: Nieng Yan
2020: Gunnar von Heijne
2019: Raymond Stevens
2018: Jue Chen
2017: James U. Bowie
2016: Eric Gouaux
2015: Anthony Watts
2014: Douglas Rees
2013: Carol Robinson

2012: Charles R. Sanders
2011: Shelagh Ferguson-Miller
2010: Tom A. Rapoport
2009: Robert M. Stroud
2008: H. Ronald Kaback

Agnes Pockels Award in Lipids and Membrane Biophysics for outstanding contributions that advanced the field of lipids and membrane biophysics

2026 Awardee

Sarah Veatch

University of Michigan, USA

About the Award

For outstanding contributions that advanced the field of lipids and membrane biophysics. This award was established by BPS in 1997 as the Avanti Award in Lipids. It was renamed the Agnes Pockels Award in Lipids and Membrane Biophysics in 2025 in honor of its namesake whose outstanding research was fundamental in establishing the discipline known as surface science. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made important and well-recognized contributions to an understanding of membrane biophysics, including but not limited to the metabolism, enzymology, structure, or function of membranes.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Janice L. Robertson
2024: Kandice Levental and Ilya Levental
2023: Karen G. Fleming
2022: Patricia Bassereau
2021: Richard Pastor
2020: Akihiro Kusumi
2019: Enrico Gratton
2018: Wonhwa Cho
2017: Sarah L. Keller
2016: Philip Yeagle
2015: Gerald Feigenson
2014: Michael Brown
2013: Joseph Zasadzinski
2012: Huey W. Huang
2011: Eric Oldfield
2010: James A. Hamilton
2009: Stephen H. White
2008: Ben de Kruijff
2007: Klaus Gawrisch

2006: Thomas E. Thompson
2005: Joachim Seelig
2004: Thomas J. McIntosh
2003: John F. Nagle and Stephanie Tristram-Nagle
2002: N/A
2001: Ronald McElhaney
2000: Edward A. Dennis
1999: Richard M. Epand
1998: Lewis C. Cantley
1997: Ching-hsien Huang

Michael and Kate Bárány Award for exceptional contributions by a person who has not yet achieved the rank of full professor or equivalent

2026 Awardees

Jorge Alegre-Cebollada

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Spain

Elizabeth Hinde

School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Australia

About the Award

For exceptional contributions by a person who has not yet achieved the rank of full professor or equivalent. The Michael and Kate Bárány Award recognizes an outstanding contribution to biophysics by a person who has not achieved a senior rank (of full professor or equivalent) at the time of nomination. This award was established by BPS as the Young Investigator Award in 1992 and renamed in 1998 in recognition of an endowment by Michael and Kate Bárány. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
Nominee must not have reached rank of full professor at time of nomination.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Hernan G. Garcia
2024: Julia Mahamid
2023: Jeanne C. Stachowiak
2022: Suckjoon Jun
2021: Tanja Mittag
2020: Clifford P. Brangwynne
2019: Elizabeth Rhoades
2018: Bianxiao Cui
2017: Ahmet Yildiz
2016: Olga Boudker
2015: Sarah Teichmann
2014: Miriam Goodman
2013: Patricia Clark
2012: Vijay Pande
2011: Charalampos Kalodimos
2010: Mark J. Schnitzer
2009: Gaudenz M. Danuser
2008: Sergei I. Sukharev
2007: Taekjip Ha
2006: Anne-Frances Miller
2005: Vincent Hilser

2004: Paul R. Selvin
2003: Patricia Jennings
2002: William Zagotta
2001: Shimon Weiss
2000: Elizabeth A. Komives
1999: Gaetano T. Montelione
1998: Winfried Denk
1997: Donald W. Hilgemann
1996: David P. Corey
1995: Roderick MacKinnon
1994: Steven M. Block
1993: Ronald D. Vale
1992: Richard W. Aldrich

Award in the Biophysics of Health and Disease for outstanding contributions using biophysics to advance understanding of health and disease

2026 Awardee

Wonhwa Cho

University of Illinois Chicago, USA

About the Award

For outstanding contributions using biophysics to advance understanding of health and disease. The Award in the Biophysics of Health and Disease honors an investigator who has made a significant contribution to understanding the fundamental cause or pathogenesis of disease, or to enabling treatment or prevention. The award was established by BPS in 2020. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Elizabeth A. Jonas
2024: Nancy Carrasco
2023: Kevin H. Gardner
2022: Stephen C. Cannon
2021: Andrea Meredith
2020: Alexandra C. Newton

Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award for innovative advances in the understanding of biological systems

2026 Awardee

Jie Xiao

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA

About the Award

For innovative advances in the understanding of biological systems. The Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award recognizes a BPS member who advanced our fundamental understanding of biological systems through the development of novel theory, models, concepts, techniques, or applications. The Innovation Award was established by BPS in 2019 and renamed the Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award in 2022 to honor her pioneering contributions to the study of large biomolecular structures and their biological roles. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Daniel R. Larson
2024: Takanari Inoue
2023: Jin Zhang
2022: Bridget Carragher
2021: Gregory A. Voth
2020: G. Marius Clore
2019: Songi Han

Klaus Schulten and Zaida Luthey-Schulten Award in Computational Biophysics for outstanding contributions that advance the field of computational biophysics

2026 Awardee

Charles L. Brooks III

University of Michigan, USA

About the Award

For outstanding contributions that advance the field of computational biophysics. The Klaus Schulten and Zaida Luthey-Schulten Award in Computational Biophysics recognizes a researcher for outstanding contributions in computational or theoretical, including analytical theory, and aspects of biophysical systems. This award was established by BPS in 2025 and honors its namesakes for their mathematical, theoretical, and technological innovations which led to key discoveries about the motion of individual proteins and nucleic acids, organelles, and whole cells. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of computational biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: James A. Glazier

Rosalba Kampman Distinguished Service Award for exceptional service in the field of biophysics

2026 Awardee

Nuria Assa-Munt

Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, USA

About the Award

For exceptional service in the field of biophysics. The Rosalba Kampman Distinguished Service Award recognizes a member whose service and contributions in the field of biophysics extend beyond achievements in research. The Distinguished Service Award was established by BPS in 1997 and renamed the Rosalba Kampman Distinguished Service Award in 2020 to honor its namesake who served with distinction as BPS’s Executive Officer from 1998 to 2018. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution through research and service to the field of biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2024: Frances Separovic
2022: Dorothy Beckett
2020: Jean Chin
2018: Leslie Loew
2016: Yale E. Goldman
2015: Kamal Shukla
2014: Linda Kenney
2013: Klaus Schulten
2012: Edward Egelman
2011: Olaf Andersen
2010: Mordecai P. Blaustein
2009: Jeremy M. Berg
2008: Robert Callender
2007: Ken Dill

2006: Robert Gunn
2005: Sarah Hitchcock-DeGregori
2004: Mary Dicky Barkley
2003: Marvin Cassman
2002: Peter Moore
2001: Frederic M. Richards
2000: Helen Berman
1999: Stephen H. White
1998: Victor A. Bloomfield
1997: Thomas D. Pollard

Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award for a woman achieving prominence in scholarship and/or leadership at an early career stage

2026 Awardee

Hawa Racine Thiam

Stanford University, USA

About the Award

For a woman achieving prominence in scholarship and/or leadership at an early career stage. The Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award recognizes a woman in the early stages of a career in biophysics who is already recognized in the scientific community for her impactful publications, ideas, or leadership. This award was established by BPS in 1984 and honors the memory of Dr. Margaret Dayhoff, former President of the Biophysical Society, Professor of Biophysics at Georgetown University, and Director of Research at the National Biomedical Research Foundation. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics. .
Nominee must be a woman who holds very high promise or has achieved prominence while developing the early stages of a career in biophysics.
A candidate who has already received university tenure by the due date on nomination is not eligible.
Candidates who work in non-academic environments are eligible if their work is published, meets academic standards, and they do not have tenure equivalency.
A candidate having a PhD or equivalent degree shall be eligible until she has completed 10 years of full-time work following the degree. A candidate with a Baccalaureate degree but without a PhD shall have 12 years of eligibility. Time taken off for child-rearing will not be counted in this total. Part-time work and other special circumstances will be evaluated at the discretion of the Awards Committee.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nomination packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .
Include any personal hardship or other obstacle that has impeded advancing including, but not limited to, family responsibilities or disadvantaged background. Please include your estimate of the number of years of extension appropriate to the circumstances. The judging standards will be the same for all nominees, but the eligibility period may be extended by the agreement of the Awards Committee.

Past Awardees

2025: Doreen Matthies
2024: Lu Wei
2023: Elizabeth H. Kellogg
2022: Gabriela Schlau-Cohen
2021: Randy Stockbridge
2020: Valeria Vásquez
2019: Meytal Landau
2018: Carrie Partch
2017: Julie S. Biteen
2016: Sophie Dumont and Polina Lishko
2015: Antonina Roll-Mecak
2014: Sarah Veatch
2013: Jennifer Ross and Katherine Henzler-Wildman
2012: Lucy R. Forrest
2011: Diane Lidke
2010: Crina Nimigean and Maria Spies
2009: Teresa Giraldez, Adrienne L. Fairhall, and Jin Zhang
2008: Judith Klein-Seetharaman
2007: Kalina Hristova
2006: Anne Hinderliter
2005: Sarah Keller
2004: Dorothee Kern
2003: Hao Wu
2002: Gina MacDonald
2001: Millie M. Georgiadis and Ka Yee Christina Lee
2000: Lydia M. Gregoret

1998/99: Judith R. Mourant
1997/98: Bonnie Anne Berger
1996/97: Susan Marqusee
1995/96: Lynne Regan
1994/95: Hillary C. M. Nelson
1993/94: Jean S. Baum
1992/93: Carol Vandenberg
1991/92: Hazel M. Holden and Francine R. Smith
1990/91: Jeanne Rudzki Small
1989/90: Anne Walter
1988/89: Nancy L. Thompson
1987/88: Rachel Klevit
1986/87: Barbara E. Ehrlich
1985/86: Barbara A. Lewis
1984/85: Dagmar Ringe and Bonnie Ann Wallace

Fellow of the Biophysical Society for sustained scientific excellence and contributions in the field of biophysics

About the Award

For sustained scientific excellence and contributions in the field of biophysics. This is an honorary title, designating the Society's distinguished members who have demonstrated sustained scientific excellence, complemented by their broader professional contributions to the general field of biophysics through their leadership, mentorship, public service, or other mechanisms. The title was established by BPS in 2000 to recognize annually a very select group of BPS members – approximately 0.1% of the membership – who consistently embody the BPS values through their research and broader contributions. Fellows are recognized at the Annual Meeting.

2026 Fellows of the Biophysical Society

Kenneth J. Breslauer
Linus Pauling Distinguished Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA

Susan K. Buchanan
National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA

Deborah Leckband
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Alexander D. MacKerell, Jr.
University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA

Huan-Xiang Zhou
University of Illinois Chicago, USA

Eligibility:

Nominee must have a distinguished career of exceptional contributions that have advanced the field of biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are not accepted for this award.
Current Council members may not be nominated for any Society Award or the Fellows designation while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .
A two-paragraph statement (600-word maximum) summarizing the achievements and contributions for which the nominee should be recognized.
A list of 10 important papers the nominee has published.

2025	Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Enrique M. De La Cruz, Enrico Gratton, Vasanthi Jayaraman, Edward A. Lemke, Leslie M. Loew, Tanja Mittag
2024	Rommie E. Amaro, Ivet Bahar, Jennifer A. Doudna, Kresten Lindorff-Larsen, Gary J. Pielak, Eugene Shakhnovich, Michelle D. Wang
2023	Nancy Carrasco, Ka Yee C. Lee, Boris Martinac, Daniel L. Minor, Jr., William E. Moerner, Gerd Ulrich Nienhaus, Catherine A. Royer
2022	Roger Cooke, Karen G. Fleming, Angela M. Gronenborn, Martin Karplus, Stephen Kowalczykowski, Dame Carol V. Robinson, Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
2021	Hashim Al-Hashimi, Hermann Gaub, Vincent Hilser, Leemor Joshua-Tor, Sarah Keller, Carol Post, Lukas Tamm, Ada Yonath
2020	Charalampos Babis Kalodimos, Steven Chu, Taekjip Ha, Eva Nogales, Benjamin Schuler, Cynthia Wolberger, Hao Wu
2019	Marileen Dogterom, Judith Frydman, Gilad Haran, Stefan Hell, Kenneth Johnson, Zaida Luthey-schulten, Rohit Pappu
2018	Patricia Bassereau, James Bowie, Astrid Graslund, Roderick Mackinnon, Sheena Radford, Sriram Subramaniam, H. Lee Sweeney, Harel Weinstein
2017	Jonathon Howard, Lewis E. Kay, Brian Kobilka, Michael Levitt, Jane S. Richardson, Petra Schwille, Bonnie Wallace
2016	Mario L. Amzel, Charles L. Brooks, Walter J. Chazin, Jane Clarke, Angel E. Garcia, Antoinette Killian, Matthias Rief, Nancy L. Thompson, Eduardo Perozo
2015	Joseph J. Falke, Susan Marqusee, Sharon Hammes- Schiffer, George Phillips, Timothy Lohman, James Sellers
2014	Barbara Baird, Michael Brown, Lila Gierasch, Karolin Luger, Benoit Roux, Michael Sheetz, Devarajan Thirumalai, David Warshaw
2012	Toshio Yanagida, Klaus Schulten, Carlos Bustamante, Frances Separovic, Tamar Schlick, José Onuchic, Gregory Voth
2011	Valerie Daggett, Donald M. Engelman, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Erwin Neher, Ruth Nussinov, Lynne J. Regan, Anthony Watts
2010	Steven M. Block, David S. Cafiso, G. Marius Clore, Michael A. Edidin, Shelagh Ferguson-Miller, Andrew Joshua Wand
2009	Donald M. Bers, Betty J. Gaffney, Robert L. Jernigan, Mark T. Nelson, Diane M. Papazian
2008	Timothy A. Cross, Eve E. Marder, Ivan Rayment, Stephen G. Sligar, Attila Szabo
2007	Steven Boxer, Maurizio Brunori, William Cramer, Elliot L. Elson, George P. Hess
2006	Michael Bárány, Yale Goldman, Martin Gruebele, M. Thomas Record, J. Walter Woodbury, Xialing Sunney Xie
2005	Sunney I. Chan, Edward H. Egelman, Jeffrey Skolnick, David D. Thomas, Ernest M. Wright
2004	David L. Beveridge, Ronald N. McElhaney, Mauricio Montal, Brian D. Sykes
2003	Mordecai P. Blaustein, David R. Davies, Richard M. Epand, John Gergely, Rufus Lumry, James H. Prestegard, Peter G. Wolynes
2002	David DeRosier, Ken Dill, William A. Eaton, Joachim Frank, Hans Frauenfelder, Robert Gennis, Wayne Hendrickson, Terrell L. Hill, Joseph Hoffman, H. Ronald Kaback, Irwin Kuntz, Jon Lederer, John L. Markley, John Schellman, Ignacio Tinoco, Peter H. von Hippel, Stephen White, Clare Woodward, Bruno Zimm
2001	Helen Berman, Ludwig Brand, George Feher, Manuel Morales, Wilma Olson, Arieh Warshel
2000	Gary K. Ackers, Richard W. Aldrich, Clay M. Armstrong, Daniel Axelrod, Robert L. Baldwin, Francisco Bezanilla, Rodney L. Biltonen, Kevin P. Campbell, Charles R. Cantor, Donald L. D. Caspar, Carolyn Cohen, Donald M. Crothers, David Eisenberg, S. Walter Englander, Bertil Hille, Barry Honig, Wayne Hubbell, Hugh E. Huxley, William P. Jencks, Jack H. Kaplan, Peter S. Kim, Susan Lowey, J. Andrew McCammon, Harden M. McConnell, Gerhard Meissner, Peter B. Moore, V. Adrian Parsegian, Thomas D. Pollard, Frederic M. Richards, Michael G. Rossmann, Harold Scheraga, Andrew P. Somlyo, Avril V. Somlyo, Robert M. Stroud, Andrew G. Szent-Gyorgyi, Thomas E. Thompson, Richard W. Tsien, Watt W. Webb, Annemarie Weber

Founders Award for outstanding contributions to the field of biophysics

2026 Awardee

Ken A. Dill

Stony Brook University, USA

About the Award

For outstanding contributions to the field of biophysics. The Founders Award recognizes a scientist for outstanding achievements in any area of biophysics. As the name indicates, the award often goes to a biophysicist whose contributions are adopted widely by others, sometimes even beyond the field of biophysics. The award was established by BPS in 1986. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an outstanding contribution in an area of biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Devarajan Thirumalai
2024: Steven G. Boxer
2023: José Nelson Onuchic
2022: Timothy A. Springer
2021: Angela M. Gronenborn
2020: Dan Herschlag
2019: Juli Feigon
2018: James Spudich
2017: Donald E. Ingber
2016: Steven Block
2015: Harold Scheraga
2014: Arieh Warshel
2013: Peter von Hippel
2012: Sunney Xie
2011: Attila Szabo
2010: S. Walter Englander
2009: Keiichi Namba
2008: Peter G. Wolynes
2007: Clara Franzini-Armstrong
2006: William A. Eaton
2005: Thomas G. Spiro
2004: Carlos Bustamante
2003: Irwin Kuntz
2002: Barry Honig

2001: M. Thomas Record
2000: Carolyn Cohen
1999: Robert L. Baldwin
1998: Michael G. Rossmann
1997: William H. Woodruff
1996: Ignacio Tinoco, Jr.
1995: David A. Yphantis
1994: Gary K. Ackers
1993: David J. DeRosier and Joachim Frank
1992: Robert M. Glaeser
1991: Wayne L. Hubbell
1990: Joel Brown
1989: Ramon Latorre
1988: Seymour H. Koenig
1987: Lawrence B. Cohen
1986: George Eisenman

Early Career Award for noteworthy contributions to research and service in the first six years of their independent position

2026 Awardee

Erdinc Sezgin

SciLifeLab, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

About the Award

For noteworthy contributions to research and service in the first six years of their independent position. The Early Career Award recognizes a scientist with six or fewer years of service in an independent position at an academic institution, national research lab, or private research organization who has made noteworthy contributions in biophysics research and service during their independence. The award was established by BPS in 2025. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics during their independence.
Nominee must be a full-time faculty member, independent investigator, or staff scientist for six or fewer years as of May 1 of the year the nomination is submitted. Time taken off for child-rearing or other purposes will not be counted in this total as long as the nominee has officially taken the associated extension (for example off a tenure clock) at their institution. Part-time work and other special circumstances will be evaluated at the discretion of the Awards Committee.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Christopher O. Barnes

Emily M. Gray Distinguished Educator Award for significant contributions to biophysics education and mentoring

(Not awarded in 2026)

2025 Awardee

Silvia Cavagnero

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

View Presentation

About the Award

For significant contributions to biophysics education and mentoring. The Emily M. Gray Distinguished Educator Award honors significant contributions to education and mentoring in biophysics, demonstrated through a distinguished record of excellence in classroom instruction, mentoring scientists at any level, developing novel educational methods or materials, promoting scientific outreach efforts to the public or to youth, attracting new students to the field of biophysics, or fostering an environment exceptionally conducive to education in biophysics. The award was established by BPS in 1998 and is named to honor its namesake, who served with distinction as BPS’s Executive Officer from 1972 to 1996. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2023: Jonathan A. King
2021: Doug Barrick
2019: Yves De Koninck
2018: Madeline Shea
2017: Enrique M. De La Cruz
2016: Douglas Robinson
2015: Meyer Jackson
2014: Alberto Diaspro
2013: Louis de Felice
2012: Kenneth Dill and Sarina Bromberg
2011: Bertil Hille
2010: Greta Pifat-Mrzljak
2009: Philip C. Nelson
2008: Donald M. Crothers

2007: John Steve Olson
2006: Ignacio Tinoco, Jr.
2005: Barry R. Lentz
2004: Richard D. Ludescher
2003: Michael Summers
2002: Norma Allewell
2001: Jane Richardson
2000: Charles Cantor and Paul Schimmel
1999: Kensal E. van Holde
1998: Muriel S. Prouty

Doctoral Research Award for excellence in research, writing, and service during doctoral training

2026 Awardees

Yiechang Lin

Australian National University, Australia

Kai Sheng

Scripps Research, USA

About the Award

For excellence in research, writing, and service during doctoral training. The Doctoral Research Award recognizes two recipients of a PhD degree in biophysics, one each from a US and non-US institution. This award was established by BPS in 2025. Each award recipient receives an honorarium of $1,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website, and will have their essay published in Biophysical Journal.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an excellent contribution to the field of biophysics as demonstrated by a single thesis/original work/final version filed with their institution during the current awards cycle.
Nominees must have successfully defended their PhD within the two-year period prior to the due date of the nomination.
Nominator must be a Regular or Emeritus member of the Biophysical Society who is familiar with their research.
Self-nominations are not accepted.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee and the nominator. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
An essay (1200 words maximum) written in English by the nominee explaining their thesis to a broad audience with scientific interest, with an optional secondary essay describing mentoring, service, and/or outreach (300 words maximum).

Past Awardees

2025: Hugo Lachuer and Nadab Wubshet

Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award for excellence in research and mentoring at a primarily undergraduate institution

2026 Awardee

Ashley R. Carter

Amherst College, USA

About the Award

For excellence in research and mentoring at a primarily undergraduate institution. The Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award recognizes a faculty at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) for excellence in academic research and mentoring. The award was established by BPS in 2025. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an excellent contribution in the field of biophysics.
Nominee must be faculty at a PUI at the time of nomination.
PUI is defined as accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate’s degrees, Bachelor’s degrees, and/or Master’s degrees (or the non-US equivalents) but have awarded 20 or fewer PhD degrees during the combined previous 2 academic years.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Elizabeth Yates

Kazuhiko Kinosita Award in Single-Molecule Biophysics for outstanding contributions that advanced the field of single-molecule biophysics

2026 Awardee

Cornelis (Cees) Dekker

Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

About the Award

For outstanding contributions that advanced the field of single-molecule biophysics. The Kazuhiko Kinosita Award in Single-Molecule Biophysics recognizes an outstanding researcher for exceptional contributions in the field of single-molecule biophysics. It encourages investigators to promote further developments in single-molecule biophysics, to engage in cross-disciplinary research, and to elevate the appreciation of single-molecule studies among scientists in general. This award was established by BPS in 2006 to honor its namesake, who helped to establish the field, and who performed many elegant experiments, including proving conclusively the rotation of individual molecules of the F1 ATPase (ATP synthase). The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of single-molecule biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an abbreviated CV and a blank template are available here .

Past Awardees

2025: Scott C. Blanchard
2024: Christy F. Landes
2023: Ben Schuler
2022: Shimon Weiss
2021: Carlos Bustamante
2020: Yale E. Goldman
2019: Jeff Gelles
2018: Taekjip Ha
2017: Shin'ichi Ishiwata

US Genomics Award Past Awardees

2011: Toshio Yanagida
2010: Jane Clarke
2009: Julio M. Fernandez
2008: Steven M. Block
2007: Howard C. Berg
2006: James A. Spudich

Ignacio Tinoco Award in Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules for outstanding contributions that advanced the field of physical chemistry of macromolecules

2026 Awardee

A. Joshua Wand

Texas A&M University, USA

About the Award

For outstanding contributions that advanced the field of physical chemistry of macromolecules. The Ignacio "Nacho" Tinoco Award in Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules recognizes an investigator whose work is transformative within physical chemistry of macromolecules, especially nucleic acids. This award was established by BPS in 2019 to honor its namesake whose contributions to the spectroscopic, thermodynamic, structural, and single-molecule study of RNA are fundamental to the understanding of the physical principles of macromolecules. The award recipient receives an honorarium of $2,000, is recognized at the Annual Meeting, and is invited to record a 15–30-minute talk to be archived on the BPS website.

Eligibility:

Nominee must have made an exceptional contribution to the field of biophysics.
Nominees, nominators, and the author of one of the two letters of support must be members of the Biophysical Society in good standing.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Current Council members and Awards Committee members may not be nominated while serving.

Nominations packets must include the following:

Completed Award Nomination Application through the online portal. It requires names for the nominee, the nominator, and the writers of supporting letters. All documents must be in PDF format.
A single sentence (citation) that could be used in an award announcement describing why the nominee should be selected.
Nomination letter (no more than 4 pages) addressing all criteria and describing why the nominee should be selected for the specific award.
Two letters of support, at least one of which is from a current Biophysical Society member.
A copy of the nominee's CV (no more than 5 pages); CVs over 5 pages will be rejected. A sample of an NIH-style biosketch and a blank template are available here .

2025: Gilad Haran
2024: M. Thomas Record, Jr.
2023: Sarah A. Woodson
2022: Paul R. Selvin
2021: Peter H. von Hippel
2020: Elliot L. Elson
2019: Harry F. Noller