ASSCR Rising Star Award

Guidelines for ASSCR Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award aims to recognise outstanding contributions of ASSCR members who have demonstrated excellence in research, leadership and advocacy in the early stages of their careers. Two awards will be given each year.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Rising Star Award the applicant must be:

• 0-5 years post-PhD or equivalent of full-time in the case of significant career interruption on the closing date of the year of application.

• a current member of ASSCR and held membership for at least 1 year.

• Applicants can either self-nominate or be nominated by a current ASSCR member.

Ineligible Applicants

• Previous ASSCR Rising Star Award winners are not eligible to apply.

• Applications that do not provide all the required information will be ineligible.

Awards

• Up to two awards will be presented each year.

• Each award winner will receive $5,500 in prize money (inclusive of $5,000 international travel grant provided by National Stem Cell Foundation), a certificate and free registration to the ASSCR Annual Meeting the following year.

• The international travel grant should be spent within a year of receiving to attend an international conference, scientific course or workshop and/or laboratory visit and a report submitted to ASSCR/NSCF within 6 months of attendance.

• Applications from past Rising Star Award winners may be provided as a guide to support high-quality submissions from future applicants.

Application Process

• Applicants are required to submit an application form of no more than 3 pages (Times, 12 point font) that addresses the selection criteria and includes:

  o   Research impact in any area of stem cell research

  o   Top 5 publications and a description of the key importance

  o   Scientific contributions to the field that demonstrate leadership

  o   Communication, outreach and advocacy activities

• Supply evidence of PhD completion date (e.g. letter of degree completion from University)

• Submit application to the Chair of Conference and Awards (ASSCRsubmissions@gmail.com) by 1st August 2025.

Announcement of awards

The Rising Star Award recipients will be announced at the annual ASSCR meeting and/or the ASSCR AGM.

Assessment Information:

• Applications will be assessed by a selection committee comprised of ASSCR President, Vice President, Past President, Chair of Conference and Awards and other executive members of ASSCR.

• Selection panel members will be required to declare any conflict of interest with individuals or institutions and if conflicts are high, will be removed from assessment of the application.

• Applications will be assessed against selection criteria, relative to opportunity.

• Career disruption will be defined according to ARC guidelines. 

• It is a policy of ASSCR that the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion are observed in both the composition of the selection committee and awardees.

Selection Criteria