Call for Nominations: 2026 Mentor Award

October 2, 2025

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), in partnership with Gallagher, would like to announce the call for nominations for the 2026 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award. The award recognizes a faculty member or advisor who has engaged in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars as exhibited by the following:

• Has advocated for postdoctoral scholars.
• Has been accessible and provided open lines of communication to postdoctoral scholars.
• Has embedded the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion to create effective culturally responsive mentoring relationships.
• Has created a supportive environment for research; has shown respect for the postdoctoral scholars' goals and assisted them in fulfilling those goals.
• Has provided them guidance in professional development for success during and after their postdoc period, including, for example, encouraging the use of the Core Competencies for self-assessment and guidance, completing an individual development plan, and assisting the postdoctoral scholars in building a professional network through generous sharing of contacts.
• Has demonstrated a sustained commitment to creating a productive working environment that enhances the overall postdoctoral experience.

Nomination Process

To submit a nomination, provide the following:

1. Cover sheet with name, title, department, mailing address, email address, and telephone number of both nominator and nominee.
2. Brief description of the nominee. Please include the nominee's full name, title, institution, and academic credentials.
3. Essay describing why you believe that your nominee should receive the 2026 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award (strict 500-word limit). Consider addressing some or all of the following points:
   1. How your nominee provides "hands-on" professional development experiences for postdocs, such as writing papers or reviews and applying for grants/fellowships.
   2. How your nominee provides postdocs with guidance on networking and planning for their future careers.
   3. How your nominee maintains accessibility with postdoctoral scholars by consistently providing open lines of communication and helping them to become competent in communication.
   4. The philosophy, activities, characteristics, or traits of your nominee that make this person a truly outstanding mentor.
   5. How the nominee's mentoring has benefited you personally (if applicable).
   6. A summary of the nominee's mentoring efforts, including, for example, the length of time that she or he has served as a mentor; the number of postdocs that the nominee has mentored; and examples of the success that these postdocs have had under the mentor's guidance, especially regarding increased proficiency in any of the six NPA Core Competencies.
   7. How the nominee has influenced the quality of the postdoctoral experience on a local, regional, or national level.
   8. How the nominee has incorporated the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into her/his approach to mentoring.
4. Up to three (3) supporting documents (e.g. letters of support from former postdocs within five years from completing their postdoctoral training and/or current postdoctoral scholars; newspaper, magazine, or journal articles).

Nominations will be accepted from postdoctoral scholars (anyone who is currently a postdoc or within five years of having completed postdoctoral training). Only postdocs are eligible to make nominations. Submit the nomination package electronically as one PDF file by emailing it to contact@nationalpostdoc.org.

The winner will receive public recognition, an honorarium of $500, complimentary registration to the 2026 Annual Conference, and a travel stipend (if applicable). The official selection committee will be responsible for reviewing nominations and making a recommendation to the NPA Board of Directors, who will give final approval to the selection. The award will be presented at the 2026 NPA Annual Conference, March 13-14, 2026, in San Francisco, CA.

Deadline for nominations: Friday, November 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET

Past recipients

2025: Albert. L. Gonzales, Ph.D.

2024: Sarah Hokanson, Ph.D.

2023: Christian Meissner, Ph.D.

2022: Kellie Ann Jurado, Ph.D.

2021: Sreekanth “Shrek” Chalasani, Ph.D.

2020: John Beacom, Ph.D.

2019: Edward Krug, Ph.D.

2018: Leanne Redman, Ph.D., FTOS

2017: Malene Hansen, Ph.D.

2016: Shannon Manning, Ph.D., M.P.H.

2015: Jennifer Silk, Ph.D.

2014: Joel Elmquist, D.V.M., Ph.D.

2013: Rafael Muñoz‐Carpena, Ph.D.

2012: Tayyaba Hasan, Ph.D.