Department of Biochemistry Awards

• Faculty nomination
• BCHM graduate student within 12 months of completion of program

• A current C.V. (including a complete list of publications, with journal impact factor and your role in the study)
• An electronic copy of each published paper or submitted manuscript (if not yet published)
• A one-page narrative describing the significance of your scientific contributions to your field and to the broader scientific community.
• All documents combined into one pdf and uploaded here: AK Balls Upload

If selected:

• Cash award
• Student name engraved on a plaque in BCHM 101
• The recipient may be asked to present a talk at the BCHM research retreat in August
• Recognition at BCHM Award Reception
  

A.K. Balls Award Recipients

2024 - Steven McKenzie
2023 - Andrew DeMarco
2022 - Bingyu Yan
2021 - Eliana Torres Zelada
2020 - Emma Lendy
2019 - Candy Mao
2018 - (Cindy) Zheng Xing

• All BCHM graduate students (regardless of program affiliation)
• Student must present research at a national meeting
• Past winners may apply more than once. ​Higher priority will be given to applicants who have submitted or published papers since coming to Purdue and students who have passed their preliminary exam.

• Cover page located here: Beach Cover Page
• Application approval by major professor
• An essay of 200 words or less explaining the significance of your work to the participants of this conference and the goals you hope to achieve by attending the meeting
• The meeting abstract including all authors in the official order
• A current C.V. (not the annual graduate student progress report)​
• All documents combined into one pdf and uploaded here: Beach Travel Upload

• Cash award to defray the costs of attending a scientific conference that requires registration between January and June
• Recognition at BCHM Award Reception

Beach Travel Award Recipients

2024 - Zhiwei Luo, Yi-Kai Liu
2023 - Debasmita Saha, Kedric Milholland, Ji Hee Lee
2022 - Luopin Wang, Isaiah Mensah, Andrew DeMarco
2021 - Youssef Hegazy
2020 - Trevor Boram, Srishti Chakravorty
2019 - Allison Norvil, Emma Lendy
2018 - Erin Sorlien, Elia Farah

• BCHM grad student whose research has resulted in scholarly contributions to their respective fields in the form of one or more publications or manuscripts in press
• BCHM graduate student within 12 months of completion of program

• Cover sheet located here: Bilsland Cover Page
• Purdue graduate transcript
• Current formal C.V. (not your progress report) that includes research publications, teaching activities (formal and informal), service and leadership, honors and awards and a short summary of research progress (250-300 words)
• A brief statement addressing the need for the award.
• Nomination letter from your major professor addressing your academic and scholarly achievements:​Include an explanation for any U and/or I grade received, student’s performance over the duration of their grad career, student’s potential, need for the funding and i​ndicate that student will attain degree at the end of the fellowship period
• All documents combined into one pdf and uploaded here: Bilsland Upload

• The award provides funds for graduate support to be used in fall, spring or summer semesters
• Recognition at BCHM Award Reception

Bisland Award Recipients

2022 - Bingyu Yan
2021 - Trevor Boram
2020 - Eliana Torres-Zelada
2019 - Lee Stunkard & Fabiola Villanueva
2018 - Erin Sorlien

• All postdoctoral fellows, research associates, and staff scientists including Academic Professional staff
• Contributions to scientific research papers can only be considered once a manuscript has been accepted for publication by a peer-reviewed journal.
• Factors that will be taken into account when selecting an awardee based upon authorship of a paper will include to what extent the nominee has contributed to the work and how significant the findings of the paper are to the field of scientific study.

1. Evidence of impact of mentoring of grad/undergraduate students who contribute to a manuscript/poster
2. Contribution to the instructional mission of the department
3. Service to the department

• Letter of recommendation
• A current C.V.
• Supporting material (papers, abstracts, reports, manuscripts, etc)
• All documents combined into one pdf and uploaded here:​ Don Carlson Upload

• Cash award
• Name engraved on plaque in BCHM foyer
• Recognition at BCHM Award Reception

Don Carlson Award Recipients

2024 - KanKan Wang
2023 - Xingqi (David) Huang
2022 - Jeffrey Simpson
2021 - Pan Liao
2020 - Iskander Ibrahim
2019 - Hana Hall
2018 - Joe Lynch

​Established in 2008 by Dr. Bradley Sheares and his wife Adrienne Simmons to honor fellow Purdue Department of Biochemistry alumnus Dr. Henry Moses for his contributions to research, education and service. This award is given annually to a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry based on a scientific paper that the applicant has authored that demonstrates his/her productivity and excellence in scientific research.

This award honors graduate students with teaching responsibilities from across campus for their dedication to Purdue students and their outstanding teaching contributions. Recipients are selected by each academic department for their commitment to undergraduate education. Departments may select one recipient for every 50 graduate teaching assistants they support. The Graduate Teaching Award is sponsored by the Teaching Academy and the Office of the Provost and is given annually to recognize a student’s outstanding performance as a teaching assistant.

Applications criteria:

The selection process for the Teaching Academy Graduate Teaching Award occurs at the departmental level. The specific number of departmental awardees is based upon the number of graduate teaching appointments (TA) within a department.  Each department selects its awardee(s) according to its own departmental procedures.

Outstanding TA Recipients
2024 - Kate Eastman
2023 - Isaiah Mensah
2022 - Kedric Milholland
2021 - Rui (Gary) Gan
2020 - Trevor Boram
2019 - Kortany Baker
2018 - No winner

The College of Agriculture in conjunction with the Office of the Vice President for Research provides the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) Research Grant to the Department of Biochemistry. For each grant, successful candidates will have shown excellence in research. The primary criterion for the one (1) PRF Award allotted to the Department of Biochemistry will be that candidates will have shown excellence in research. The evaluation of research excellence will include the quantity and quality of published work the applicant’s role in published research and the quality of scholarship demonstrated in the written application. In close decisions, preference will be given to students who have also demonstrated a commitment to the Department of Biochemistry through service such as serving as a departmental teaching assistant.

Eligibility:

Graduate students who are appointed as a PRF Research Assistant must be in good standing (minimum GPA=3.0) and be actively working on their Ph. D. research (e.g. registered for credit in a departmental 699 graduate research course) and have passed their prelim. The PRF Research Grant is established with an initial June 1 - May 31 project period. An alternate start date can be requested, but it may not be earlier than June 1 and no later than September 1.

Application criteria:

• Cover sheet located here: Ross-Lynn Research Scholar Fund Cover Page​

• A current C.V. (not the annual grad student progress report)

•  A one page statement of teaching philosophy that describes your teaching experience as well as your strategies for effectively engaging students in learning. (This is optional for the award based only on research.)

•  A one page research statement that briefly details your research accomplishments to date and what you plan to accomplish during the one year period of this award. As part of this statement, the significance of the research should be addressed. If you were previously awarded a PRF, please indicate what was accomplished during the last award period.

•  A statement of whether or not you have applied for a PRF (or SIRG) through any other department.

• Documents should have 1in margins/Arial 12pt font and be combined in one pdf and uploaded here: Ross-Lynn Upload​

If selected:

• Each grant is a 7-month award that provides the salary for a grad student and funds to cover fringe benefits. The student who receives a grant will receive a remission of all tuition and fees except for the grad appointment and the repair & rehabilitation fees. The student is also eligible to participate in the grad staff insurance program. 

• Recognition at BCHM Award Reception​

Established in 2012 from the Weiner Family Endowment. The award is given twice a year to a graduate student to help defray the costs of attending a scientific meeting.​

Eligibility:

• All BCHM graduate students (regardless of program affiliation) and BCHM Postdocs

• Student must present research at a national or international meeting either as an oral presentation or poster

• Past winners may apply

• Higher priority will be given to applicants who have submitted or published papers since coming to Purdue and students who have passed their preliminary exam. Applicants who have not fulfilled these criteria are welcome to apply and could be selected depending upon the depth of the applicant pool.​

Application criteria:

• Cover page located here: Weiner Cover Page​

•  Application approval by major professor

• An essay of 200 words or less explaining the significance of your work to the participants of this conference and the goals you hope to achieve by attending the meeting

• The meeting abstract including all authors in the official order 

•  A current C.V. (not the annual graduate student progress report)​

•  All documents combined into one pdf and uploaded here: Weiner Travel Upload

If selected:

• Cash award to defray the costs of attending a scientific conference that requires registration between January and June

• Recognition at BCHM Award Reception​ ​