SEB Annual Lecture Awards

Overview

Each year at the SEB Annual Conference, the work of George Parker Bidder III and Harold Woolhouse are honoured with plenary lectures alongside the Cell Biology plenary lecture. Lecturers are given by prominent scientists of outstanding merit who have demonstrated excellence in their fields of research.

Eligibility Criteria

Nominees must meet certain requirements to be considered for judging. These are:

Must have made a substantial influence within their research field over a sustained period
Nominees must agree to the SEB code of conduct and have no confirmed or potential impediment to their professional standing
Nominees must be within the scientific remit of the SEB (animal plant cell)
Nominations will only be considered that conform to the application guidelines and applications will be judged solely on the nomination form
Nominations will only be considered that conform to the application guidelines as applications will be judged solely on the nomination form

Judging Criteria

Prominent scientists of outstanding merit who have demonstrated excellence in their field are selected to give the Plenary Lectures. Our definition of excellence includes all areas of a diverse and modern scientific landscape.

Judging is based on the following criteria:

Scientific Excellence
Scientific Impact
Leadership and inspiring the next generation
Contributions to the SEB or/and the field of experimental biology
Outreach and advocacy for experimental biology
Personal Character/Professional Standing

If a situation arises where multiple nominees are judged by these criteria to have equal merit, the judging panel may also use information provided on the application form to consider the nominees’ broader contribution to the experimental biology community.

Examples of relevant contributions could include, but are not limited to:

Quality of publications and/or patents and/or software
Independence
Collaborations and teamwork
Teaching/demonstrating
Service on boards, committees or panels
Peer-reviewer
Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominator/referee

Who are the Judging Panels?

The judging panel is made up of the relevant scientific section committee depending on the application. The SEB has three scientific sections; Animal, Plant and Cell which are assembled of the Section Chair, Convenors of the sections interest groups, and a co-opted member.

Considerations of the Judging Panel

To help nominators submit an application with the best chance of success, we have outlined the primary judging criteria and examples of what the judges may consider as demonstrations these have been met in the table below.

Nominees may not meet every consideration of the judges; these examples should be used as a guide, and you do not need to answer every question outlined. Equally, the list is not extensive so please include anything you feel is important for the judges to consider even if it is not included in these examples.

Judging Process

A nominator fills out a form about the nominee containing 6 questions that are guided by the judging criteria. They are also asked to upload a CV, or link to online CV or biography of the nominee. We encourage nominators to work with their nominee in gathering the relevant information to ensure the best chance of success.*
The judging panel will receive all completed forms and judge them based on a scoring system against the afore mentioned criteria
The top finalists (up to three) including the winner are ratified at a meeting with of the SEB Section Chairs, President and Vice President. If no final decision could be made by the judging panel, this group will have the power to decide the final winner between the top 2 candidates at this stage.
The winner is informed and invited to speak at the SEB Annual Conference

*Please note that the information provided in the nomination form will be the only consideration in the judging process. Please make sure to complete due diligence in assessing the suitability of the candidate. For the best chance of success, you may also wish to work with your nominee to fill out information such as supplying an up-to-date CV.

Equality and Inclusion

The SEB has a continued commitment to ensure equality, inclusion, and diversity in all our activities. This includes recognising and rewarding scientists of outstanding merit from all backgrounds. To achieve this we have:

Made the nomination process easier to encourage more first-time nominators and expand the pool of nominees at the judging stage
Made the judging process and criteria more transparent to allow nominators and nominees to submit applications that have the best chance of success
Continued to encourage and normalise non-traditional career paths by allowing flexibility in the eligibility criteria regarding “demonstrating excellence” and committed to highlight role models from diverse backgrounds and career routes.
Actively encouraged nominators to consider diversity this on the nomination form and in any promotional material surrounding the awards
Committed to proactively engage with other organisations, institutes, and societies in an effort to increase nominations from underrepresented groups

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SEB Annual Lecture Awards

Bidder Lecture Award

Woolhouse Lecture Award

Cell Biology Lecture