Many awards are granted at Botany Conference from most of the societies participating in the conference.  Each award has it's own eligibility requirements.  When you are submitting an abstract, you will be offered the opportunity to opt-in to be considered for an award based on selections you make during the submission process.  If you wish to be considered for an award, it is important that you submit your abstract in such a way that you are deemed eligible for the award you are interested in.

Below are all the awards that will be granted at Botany Conference, along with critical selections you need to make in order to be considered eligible.

Please note that due to limited time available for judging, many presentations submitted for symposia, colloquia and cross discipline topics cannot be considered for awards.  The criteria below must be followed exactly, including, when specified, submitting to the specified "section".

Awards from the Botanical Society of America

A. J. Sharp Award

A. J. Sharp Award. Named in honor of the late Dr. Jack Sharp, the award encourages students of bryophtes and lichens, just as he did during his lifetime. This award is given for the best student paper presented in the Bryological and Lichenological sessions. Current graduate students are eligible for the award.

• Must be an Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS presentation

Developmental and Structural Section best poster

Each year, an award is given to the graduate or undergraduate student who presents the best poster based on their original research in the Developmental and Structural Section poster session. To be eligible the student must be present at the poster session and be the first author. Students who have completed their Ph.D. within the past year are also eligible.

• Must be a Poster
• Must submit as a Developmental and Structural Section presentation

Ecological Section Best Graduate Student Paper

Each year the Ecological Section offers an award for the best graduate student presentation. A judging committee evaluates each student presentation and selects a winner based on the quality of the work and the presentation. The recipient of the award receives a certificate, a cash award, and is a guest of the Ecological Section at the BSA banquet.

• Must be a member of the BSA
• Must be an Oral Paper
• Must submit as an Ecological Section presentation

Ecological Section Best Graduate Student Poster

Each year the Ecological Section offers an award for the best graduate student poster. A judging committee evaluates each student poster and selects a winner based on the quality of the work and the presentation. The recipient of the award receives a certificate, a cash award, and is a guest of the Ecological Section at the BSA banquet.

• Must be a member of the BSA
• Must be a Poster
• Must submit as an Ecological Section presentation

Ecological Section Best Undergraduate Presentation Award

The Ecological Section offers an award for the best undergraduate student presentation. A judging committee evaluates each student presentation and selects a winner based on the quality of the work and the presentation. The recipient of the award receives a certificate, a cash award, and is a guest of the Ecological Section at the BSA banquet.

• Must be an Oral Paper or Poster
• Must submit as an Ecological Section presentation

Economic Botany Section best poster

The Economic Botany Section best poster award is given to the student who presents the best poster based on their original research in the Economic Botany Section poster session. To be eligible the student must be present at the poster session and be the first author.  Students who have completed their Ph.D. within the past year are also eligible.

• Must be a Poster
• Must submit as an Economic Botany Section presentation

Economic Botany Section best student paper

The Economic Botany Section best student paper award is given to the student who presents the outstanding paper in the Economic Botany Section at the annual meeting. Papers are judged based on the quality of the work and the presentation. Students who have completed their Ph.D. within the past year are also eligible.

• Must be an Oral Paper
• Must submit as an Economic Botany Section presentation

Edgar T. Wherry award

This award is in honor of Dr. Wherry's many contributions to the floristics and patterns of evolution of ferns. This award is given for the best paper presented during the contributed papers session of the Pteridological Section. An author can win the award only once.

• Must be an Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Pteridological Section/AFS presentation

Emanuel D. Rudolph Award

The Historical Section of BSA presents the Emanuel D. Rudolph Award for the best student presentation of a historical nature at the annual meeting. The recipient of the award receives a certificate, a cash award, and is a guest of the Section at the BSA banquet.

• Must be an Oral Paper or Poster
• Must submit as an Historical Section Presentation

Genetics Section Poster Award

The Genetics Section Student Award is given for the best student poster at the annual meetings.

• Must be a Poster
• Must submit as a Genetics Section or Population Genetics, Genomics / Proteomics, Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Hybrids and Hybridization, or Phylogenomics Topics presentation

George R. Cooley Award

The George R. Cooley Award is given by ASPT for the best paper presentation in either the systematics contributed paper sessions or the Biogeography topical session. Candidates for the award must be a graduate student or within one year of having received the Ph.D., and member of ASPT at the time the abstract is submitted. Only one paper will be judged for any candidate. Note that the paper should be based on a substantial amount of data (the award will not be given for a talk about work to be done).

• Must be a member of the ASPT
• Must submit as an Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Systematics Section/ASPT or Biogeography Topic presentation

Isabel Cookson Award

 This award and fund was established in 1976 by a bequest from Isabel Cookson. The Isabel C. Cookson Paleobotanical Award is given to the student or recent Ph.D. who delivers the best contributed paper in paleobotany or palynology at the annual meeting.

• Must submit as an Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Paleobotanical Section presentation

Katherine Esau Award

The Katherine Esau Award is given to the graduate student who presents the outstanding paper in the Developmental and Structural Section or the Evolutionary Developmental Biology topical session at the annual meeting. Current graduate students are eligible for the award. This award recognizes the influential work of Dr. Katherine Esau and her commitment to students.

• Must submit as a Poster or Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Developmental and Structural Section or Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) Topic presentation

Margaret Menzel Award

The Margaret Menzel Award is presented by the Genetics Section for the outstanding paper presented in the contributed papers sessions of the Genetics Section, or in one of the following topical sessions: Population Genetics, Genomics & Proteomics, Molecular Ecology & Evolution, Phylogenomics or Hybrids and Hybridization.

• Must submit as an Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Genetics Section or Population Genetics, Genomics / Proteomics, Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Hybrids and Hybridization, or Phylogenomics Topics presentation

Maynard F. Moseley Award

The Maynard F. Moseley Award is given to the best student paper, presented in either the Paleobotanical or Developmental and Structural sessions, that advances our understanding of plant structure in an evolutionary context. Current undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for this award honoring Maynard F. Moseley (1918-2003), who dedicated his career to enriching the botanical sciences through teaching, scholarship, and service.

• Must submit as an Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Paleobotanical Section or Developmental and Structural Section presentation

Physiological Section Best poster presentation

Physiological Section Best poster presentation in the Physiological Section or Ecophysiology session made by a student at the annual meeting. Candidates for the award must be a current student or recent graduate (degree received no earlier than 12 months prior to the date of the conference). The research should primarily be the work of the student (postdoctoral projects not eligible).

• Must submit as a Poster
• Must submit as a Physiological Section or Ecophysiology Topic presentation

Physiological Section Physiological Section Li-COR Prize

Physiological Section Physiological Section Li-COR Prize is presented by the Physiological Section to acknowledge the best student presentation in the Physiological Section or Ecophysiology session at the annual meeting. Candidates for the award must be a current student or recent graduate (degree received no earlier than 12 months prior to the date of the conference). The research should primarily be the work of the student (postdoctoral projects not eligible).

• Must be a Poster or Oral Paper
• Must submit as a Physiological Section or Ecophysiology Topic presentation