Call for Nominations: 2026 Postdoc of the Year Award

October 2, 2025

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) wishes to recognize a postdoctoral researcher who has advanced the national and/or local postdoctoral community in an exceptional manner beyond their work duties and in alignment with the NPA mission and core values.

The 2026 NPA Postdoc of the Year awardee stands out among their peers for advancing the national and/or local postdoctoral community, or an adjacent community, through excellence displayed in areas such as leadership, mentoring or teaching, community service and outreach, and/or promotion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. They do so in a manner that advances the NPA mission and in alignment with its core values while maintaining proficiency in their research. The awardee:

• Takes exceptional action far beyond what is expected in a postdoc position.
• Displays exemplary leadership abilities through active participation in their institutional, community, or similar activities.
• Promotes inclusivity, championing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive member community.
• Acts with integrity and transparency.
• Demonstrates a collaborative spirit of service.
• Satisfies the work obligations of their position as a postdoctoral researcher.
• Creates sustainable impact, actions, or accomplishments.
• Addresses widely recognized needs in the postdoc and adjacent communities.

Eligibility

• Individual postdoctoral researchers (“postdocs”) of domestic or international origin who are currently working in the United States as postdocs.
• Nominees must meet the NPA definition of a postdoc, in titles such as postdoctoral associate, postdoctoral scholar, postdoctoral scientist, or similar recognized as postdocs by the NPA and the nominee’s institution.
• Applications will not be accepted from non-postdoctoral employment designations such as visiting scholar, visiting assistant professor, assistant professor of research, or similar titles not recognized as postdocs by the NPA or nominee’s institution.
• Nominees must have completed at least two years of service and still be working as postdocs by the nomination deadline to be eligible for the award.

Nomination Process

• Nominations must be submitted by a nominator, an individual in a suitable position to evaluate the efforts of the nominee as exceptional among those of other postdocs.
• The nominee may not self-nominate.
• Nominators may submit only one application per award cycle.
• There are no limits to how many times an individual may be nominated across award cycles, so long as they have not been presented with this award before.
• There are no restrictions on the number of nominees allowed from a single institution.
• The application must be submitted directly by the nominator as a single PDF file by emailing it to the NPA.

Application Materials

To submit a nomination, the following should be provided:

1. Cover sheet with name, title, department, mailing address, email address, and telephone number of both nominator and nominee.
2. Statement from the nominator focusing on the criteria of this award and specifically identifying (1) why this postdoc's contributions are exceptional and worthy of national attention, and (2) why the nominator is in a suitable position to evaluate such contributions. Statement should clearly identify the specific initiatives, actions, characteristics, or traits of the nominee that make them a candidate for this award. (two-page maximum)
3. Up to three letters of support/recommendation from individuals who can directly address the nominee’s actions in light of the purpose of this award.
4. Unless already included in the above two, a letter from the nominee’s principal investigator (PI) or supervisor stating that nominee is meeting their work obligations and adhering to all applicable codes or standards of conduct, to the best knowledge of the PI or supervisor. This letter is a separate requirement and will not be counted toward recommendation letters.
5. Nominee’s current CV.

The recipient of the NPA Postdoc of the Year Award 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: Sixbert P. Muhoza, Ph.D., Walter Massey Fellow, Argonne National Laboratory

2024: Sade Williams Clayton, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Washington University in St. Louis