SSAR Awards

The SSAR awards the following honors. See links for eligibility, requirements, and past/current winners.

Dean Metter Memorial Award

This award honors the memory of Dean E. Metter and provides funds of $300—$1,000 to facilitate field research in herpetology anywhere in the world, with priority given to research in Missouri, USA. Applicants must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited college or university. Due annually on December 15.

Roger Conant Grants in Herpetology

This grant provides $500 to proposals in herpetological research, education, or conservation. Due annually on December 15.

J.P. Kennedy Student Award

This $200 award recognizes most significant student-authored paper published in Journal of Herpetology in the previous year. The primary or sole author must have been a student (undergraduate or graduate) at the time the research was conducted; however, the paper may have been written after the student received his/her degree. A Committee is appointed by the President of the Society to evaluate papers submitted for consideration.

Henri Seibert Award

This award of $200 recognizes the best student (undergraduate or graduate) papers presented at the annual meeting of the SSAR. To be eligible, the presented paper must be the result of research conducted by the presenter, and the research must have been done while the student was in either an undergraduate or graduate degree program. The presentations will be judged by the SSAR student prize committee in each of the following four categories: conservation, ecology, evolution/systematics, and physiology/morphology.

Victor Hutchison Student Poster Award

These awards of $250 recognize the best graduate student posters presented at the annual meeting of the SSAR. To be eligible, the presented poster must be the result of research conducted by the individual making the presentation, and the research must have been conducted while the student was enrolled in a graduate degree program. Students entering the competition must be members of SSAR.

George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award

This $250 award recognizes the best student (undergraduate or high school) poster at the annual meeting of the SSAR or JMIH. To be eligible to compete for this award, a student must be a high school student, undergraduate, or have graduated in the previous spring semester. The student must be the first author on the poster and must present the poster.

Founders Fellowship for Pre-College Scholars

These awards allow for selected junior and senior high school students who are budding herpetologists to the annual meeting of the SSAR. Applications are accepted annually.

Carl Gans Travelling Fellowship for Students and Post-docs

Thanks to a generous gift from the Gans Collections and Charitable Fund, SSAR offers annual travel awards to help graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergrads attend our annual meetings. The awards provide $800 per fellow for U.S./Canadian researchers and $1500 for researchers from other countries. Priority will be given to those in greatest need (for whom the award makes the difference between attendance or lack of attendance) and those from historically underrepresented groups based on gender, race, or country of origin.

Student Travel Award

These ten travel awards of $500 each are offered to students every year to help defray the costs of travel to the annual meeting of the SSAR. An applicant for a travel award must be a student and a current member of SSAR, not have previously received a travel award from SSAR, and be the first author of a paper or poster to be presented at that years meeting. Applications are accepted annually.

Metallinou Postdoctoral Travel Award

This award helps postdoctoral fellows attend and present their research at SSAR’s annual meetings and meet and interact with leaders in the field, which comes at a key time in their careers when they are seeking permanent positions. Awards are open to postdocs from all countries. Due annually in March.

Meritorious Teaching Award

This award of $500 recognizes superior effectiveness and mentoring of students in the area of herpetology. Nomination packets are due annually on March 31.

Presidential Award

In 2011, SSAR began to present Presidential Awards to society members who have provided “outstanding service” to herpetology.