Ben Barres Spotlight Awards: Applications open for 2024
Through the Ben Barres Spotlight Awards, eLife has supported over 50 pioneering researchers from backgrounds historically underrepresented in biology and medicine, including many working in countries where research funding is limited. As we now enter the scheme’s sixth year, we are pleased to welcome eligible authors of publicly reviewed preprints or eLife articles to once again apply for awards of up to $5,000 to support their research, careers or communities.
EligibilityApplicants must be:
- An active researcher in the life or biomedical sciences at a university or other non-commercial research institute AND
- An author of a life sciences preprint with one or more evaluations from an eligible group on Sciety* OR author of a manuscript published or accepted for publication at eLife AND
- A member of one or more of the following groups based on their background or identity:
- Researchers based in countries where research funding is limited; emphasis is placed on those from low and middle-income nations**
- Disabled researchers or researchers with disabilities
- Researchers with ethnic minority backgrounds
- Women; non-binary researchers and researchers of minority genders; transgender researchers of any gender
- Researchers who are neurodivergent
- Researchers who belong to a minority group based on their sexual orientation
- Researchers from working-class backgrounds or “first-generation” students
* Sciety is an application that aggregates public evaluations from preprint-reviewing groups like eLife, Review Commons, PREreview and others. Preprint servers that are currently supported include bioRxiv and medXiv. Please see exclusions below for groups that are not covered by this award scheme.
** eLife welcomes and will consider applications from all countries. There are, however, some territories where it will not be possible for us to transfer funds. We will explore all practical and legal options to allow any winners in these locations to still receive their awards. Researchers based in countries subject to economic sanctions or who are unsure about their eligibility or ability to receive funds are invited to contact eLife’s Head of Communities, Godwyns Onwuchekwa via community@elifesciences.org before making an application.
