National Awards
Grants-in-Aid of Research Program
Application Deadlines:
March 15 and October 15 annually.
The program awards grants of up to $1,000 to students from all areas of the sciences and engineering. Designated funds from the National Academy of Sciences(opens in new tab) allow for grants of up to $5,000 for astronomy research and $2,500 for vision related research. Students use the funding to pay for travel expenses to and from a research site, or for purchase of non-standard laboratory equipment necessary to complete a specific research project.
Each year Sigma Xi awards the William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement(opens in new tab) to a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to scientific research and has demonstrated an ability to communicate this research to scientists in other disciplines. The award includes a $5,000 grant to a young colleague of the recipient’s choice.
The John P. McGovern Science and Society Award(opens in new tab) is presented annually by Sigma Xi to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to science and society. The award consists of a medal and a $5,000 honorarium. The recipient presents the annual John P. McGovern Science and Society Lecture at Sigma Xi’s annual meeting.
The Walston Chubb Award for Innovation(opens in new tab) is designed to honor and promote creativity among scientists and engineers. The award carries a $4,000 honorarium and an invitation to give a lecture at Sigma Xi’s annual meeting.
Sigma Xi’s Young Investigator Award(opens in new tab), which includes a certificate of recognition and $5,000 honorarium, was presented to its first recipient at the 1998 Annual Meeting.
The Evan Ferguson Award(opens in new tab) has been presented annually since 2008 in recognition of outstanding service to Sigma Xi and its mission. The recipient is recognized with a plaque and a lifetime subscription to American Scientist magazine.
Since 1983, noted science advocates, top science journalists and friends of research who have made important contributions to science but are not eligible for Sigma Xi membership, have been elected Honorary Members.(opens in new tab) Induction of these members is typically a highlight of the Society’s annual meeting.
The George Bugliarello Prize(opens in new tab) honors an essay, review of research or analytical article published in American Scientist magazine. A prize of $5,000 is awarded biennially
Past National Award Recipients
Grants-in-Aid Scholarship Recipients from the University of Florida
| Year | Student | Research Field | Mentor |
| 2016 | Meghan Bentz | Department of Biology research field is behavioral ecology; Title of research Lovesick Flies: Female mate choice as mediated by sigma virus in Drosophila melanogaster. | Marta Wayne |
| Zachary Emberts | Department of Biology research field is behavioral ecology. The title of his research is Female copulatory behavior in the common squash bug Anasa(y) tristis. | Colette St. Mary | |
| Travis Guy | Department of Biology research field is ecology. The title of his research is Effects of megaherbivore extinction and climate change on pollination networks in an African savanna | Todd Palmer | |
| Robert Johnson | Department of Biology whose research field is ecology. The title of his study is “Green turtles and blue carbon: effects of grazing on carbon release from seagrass meadows | Karen Bjorndal | |
| Jennifer Moore | Conservation Biology Biodiversity Conservation and Monitoring in Nyungwe (New in way) National Park, Rwanda | ||
| Jerold Pinson | Department of Biology research field is systematics and evolutionary biology. The title of his research is Comparative transcriptomics of generational gene expression in ferns | Emily Sessa | |
| Mark Sandfoss | Department of Biology whose research field is physiology and functional morphology. The title of his research is Rates of water flux in a unique insular population of pitviper. | Harvey Lillywhite | |
| 2015 | Lauren Cirino | Entomology and Nematology – Ecology | Christine Miller |
| Robert Johnson | Biology – Ecology | Karen Bjorndal | |
| Jennifer Moore | Wildlife Ecology & Conservation – Conservation Biology | Gustav Paulay | |
| Meghan Bentz | Biology – Behavioral Ecology | Marta Wayne | |
| Zachary Emberts | Biology – Behavioral Ecology | Colette St. Mary | |
| Travis Guy | Biology – Ecology | Todd Palmer | |
| Jerold Pinson | Biology – Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | Emily Sessa | |
| Mark Sandfoss | Biology – Physiology/Functional Morphology | Harvey Lillywhite | |
| 2014 | Ashley Sharpe | Anthropology | Not Available |
| Jacob Landis | Systematics/ Evolutionary Biology | Not Available | |
| 2013 | Kelly Speer | Systematics/ Evolutionary Biology | Not Available |
| Iwan E. Molgo | Systematics/ Evolutionary Biology | Not Available | |
| Ryan P. Moraski | Systematics/ Evolutionary Biology | Not Available | |
| 2012 | Joseph B. Pfaller | Systematics/ Evolutionary Biology | Not Available |
| Richard G. Hodel | Conservation Biology | Not Available | |
| 2011 | Kathleen Rudolph | Behavioral Ecology | Todd Palmer |
| 2010 | Michael Butler | Physics/Astronomy | Jonathan Tan |
| Karen Brun | Ecology | Brian Silliman | |
| Timothy Caughlin | Ecology | Douglas Levey | |
| William Donelan | Cell Biology/Biochemistry | Li-Jun Yang | |
| Christine Holdredge | Ecology | Brian Silliman | |
| Ari Martinez | Ecology | Scott Robinson | |
| Marvin Morales Jacinto | Ecology | Douglas Levey | |
| Elena Ortiz | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | David Reed | |
| Sabra Pelham | Psychology | Lise Abrams | |
| Jorge Pino | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | David Reed | |
| Julio Soto-Centeno | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | David Reed | |
| Hannah Vander Zanden | Ecology | Karen Bjorndal | |
| 2009 | Meghan Bills | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Iske Larkin |
| Maria Checa | Ecology | Keith Willmott | |
| Scott Fleming | Physics/Astronomy | Jian Ge | |
| James Nifong | Ecology | Brian Silliman | |
| Steve Anthony Noutong Njapo | Engineering | Brandi Ormerod | |
| Schuyler van Montfrans | Ecology | Brian Silliman | |
| Andrew Hein | Ecology | Not available | |
| Paula Mejia-Velasquez | Paleontology/Sedimentation | Not available | |
| Catalina Pimiento | Paleontology/Sedimentation | Not available | |
| Judit Ungvari-Martin | Ecology | Not available | |
| 2008 | Jessica Beasley | Ecology | Craig Osenberg |
| Sonja Damnjanovic | Psychology | Ira Fischler | |
| Daniel Sasson | Behavioral Ecology | J. Jane Brockmann | |
| Zoe Ziliak | Anthropology | Helene Blondeau | |
| 2007 | Carol Chaffee | Ecology | Craig Osenberg |
| Jacob Fyda | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Louis J. Guillette | |
| Marcus Griswold | Ecology | Thomas L. Crisman | |
| Clare Rittschog (2) | Behavioral Ecology | H. J. Brockmann | |
| Christian Salcedo | Ecology | Thomas C. Emmel | |
| Lori Albergotti | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Louis J. Guillette | |
| Larisa DeSantis | Paleontology/Sedimentation | Bruce MacFadden | |
| Jason Gulley | Hydrology/Geomorphology | Jonathan Martin | |
| Bret Pasch | Behavioral Ecology | Steven Phelps | |
| 2006 | Justin Havird | Physiology/Functional Morphology | David Evans |
| Leah Simon | Physics/Astronomy | Frederick Hamann | |
| Matthew Smith | Behavioral Ecology | H. J. Brockmann | |
| Leslie Babonis | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Harvey B. Lillywhite | |
| David Buck | Hydrology/Geomorphology | Mark Brenner | |
| Jill Jankowski | Ecology | Scott K. Robinson | |
| Sara Margolin | Psychology | Lise Abrams | |
| Melissa Toups | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | David L. Reed | |
| Dunja Trunk | Psychology | Lise Abrams | |
| 2005 | Megan Rashid | Pscyhology | Lise Abrams |
| Lindy Barrow | Conservation Biology | Karen A. Bjorndal | |
| Jena L. Chojnowski | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | Edward L. Braun | |
| 2004 | Kimberly Horn Anderson | Psychology | William Berg |
| Justin Robert Crepp | Physics/Astronomy | Jian Ge | |
| Michael W. Perry | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | Thomas Emmel | |
| Erin Edith Thornton | Anthropology | Kitty Emery | |
| Fei Wang | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Stephen Roberts | |
| Shusheng Hu | Paleontology/Sedimentation | David Dilcher | |
| Joanna Joyner-Matos | Physiology/Functional Morphology | David Julian | |
| Silvia Beatriz Lamascolo | Ecology | Colin Chapman | |
| Matos Fernando Luis | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Pauline Lawrence | |
| Krista Ann-Marie McCoy | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Colette St. Mary | |
| Arpat Ozgul | Ecology | Lauren Chapman | |
| Matthew Jason Reetz | Ecology | Kathryn Sieving | |
| 2003 | Barry Wilmer Alto | Ecology | Leon Philip Lounibos |
| Sarah Davidson Newell | Petrology/Geochemistry | David A. Hodell | |
| Dunja Lund | Psychology | Lise Abrams | |
| Jeremy Joseph Kirchman | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | David W. Steadman | |
| Dieldrich Salomon Bermudez | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Louis J. Guillette | |
| Sara Jill Rotter | Psychology | Lise Abrams | |
| Gwynn Alexis Erica | Ecology | Lauren Chapman | |
| William Charles Gunnels | Behavioral Ecology | Colette St. Mary | |
| Kelly Anne Hyndman | Physiology/Functional Morphology | David Evans | |
| Carla Danielle Beals | Ecology | Shirley Baker | |
| 2002 | Alison McCombe | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Karen Bjorndal |
| Dana Byrd | Psychology | William Berg | |
| Christine Edwards | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | Douglas Soltis | |
| Adam Reitzel | Physiology/Functional Morphology | David Julian | |
| Kathryn Jemmott | Anthropology | Anthony Falsett | |
| Jacqueline Wilson | Ecology | Craig Osenberg | |
| Ashley Seifert | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Lauren Chapman | |
| Cecelia Miles | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | Marta Wayne | |
| Lisa Kirkendale | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | Gustav Paulay | |
| Michael McCoy | Ecology | Craig Osenberg | |
| 2001 | Silvia Beatriz Lamascolo | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | David Dilcher |
| Kathleen Somera | Cell Biology/Biochemistry | Hazel Jones | |
| Andreas Heyland | Cell Biology/Biochemistry | David Julian | |
| Rafael Ferreyra | Engineering | James Jones | |
| Tamatha Barbear | Cell Biology/Biochemistry | Louis J. Guillette | |
| Karyn Rode | Anthropology | Colin Chapman | |
| Jennifer Stanley | Psychology | Lise Abrams | |
| 2000 | Hillary Binta | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Not Available |
| Jonathan Cowart | Ecology | Not Available | |
| Daniel Janes | Ecology | Not Available | |
| Alison McCombe | Physiology/Functional Morphology | Not Available | |
| Kristen Porter-Utley | Systematics/Evolutionary Biology | Not Available |