Even during these uncertain times, the SOT Endowment Fund still serves as a mechanism for supporting toxicologists and the science of toxicology now and into the future. To recognize their outstanding achievements, this year, more than 100 deserving undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and scientists across career levels received awards funded through the Endowment.
Many award recipients noted the importance of these accolades in their development as investigators. “Research awards are crucial to the professional development of trainees,” says Colette Miller, PhD, of the US Environmental Protection Agency and a 2020 recipient of the Perry J. Gehring Risk Assessment Student Award Fund. “Endowment awards . . . provide the opportunity for young scientists to craft their scientific message and provide networking opportunities for early career researchers.”
Indeed, for students, receiving an Endowment Fund award often serves as a vehicle for career advancement. Milan Prajapati, PhD, of Brown University, was a 2020 recipient of an award from the Dharm V. Singh Association of Scientists of Indian Origin Student Award Fund. Dr. Prajapati describes receiving this award as “a professionally rewarding experience that will improve my professional skills, build professional networks, and help me achieve short- and long-term goals.”
Endowment awards also serve to reinforce researchers’ commitment to special interests within the sciences. For Meghan Rebuli, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving an award from the Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award Fund “will help me pursue my research by encouraging my continued dedication to efforts to advance the visibility, recognition, and support of women in the field of toxicology.”
The full list of 2020 Endowment Fund awardees is available on the SOT website, along with further information about these outstanding awardees.
More than 800 contributors support the future of toxicology by giving to the Endowment Fund. To learn more about how you can support this important endeavor, by visiting the SOT website.