DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics

DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics is sponsored by Genetics Society of America (GSA). These grants help graduate students and postdocs take the next step in their careers—whether that's attending a scientific meeting, participating in a lab course, or connecting with the broader genetics community.

DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics – Genetics Society of America DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics Applications are due by September 18, 2026. After joining GSA, you will need to wait 20 minutes for your member record to update. You also need to refresh the application site before logging in.

In 2001, the Genetics Society of America established The DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics, recognizing the critical role DeLill Nasser played in the field. The $1,000 award supports geneticists in their graduate or postdoctoral career stages by subsidizing participation in conferences and laboratory courses.

DeLill Nasser was a long-time GSA member and National Science Foundation Program Director in Eukaryotic Genetics. Nasser, who died in 2000, was at the National Science Foundation for more than 22 years and has been called the “patron saint of real genetics” and a major force in the development of the field.

By giving researchers time and support, Nasser enabled them to work on genetic problems, sometimes seemingly obscure, which resulted in significant progress in genetics; among many examples are her championing of Arabidopsis research and Drosophila neurogenetics. Nasser was especially supportive of young scientists, people who were beginning their careers, and those trying to open new areas of genetic inquiry.

The deadline to apply for the Spring cycle is typically in the middle of April and the deadline to apply for the Fall cycle is typically mid-September. DeLill Nasser Awards have two rounds of applications per year. The Fall cycle is for courses and conferences occurring between January 1 and June 30, and the Spring cycle is for courses and conferences occurring between July 1 and December 31.

Monitor the GSA e-News and this webpage for updates about application windows. Deadline for this cycle is April 3, 2026. If you presented the work previously, how would this opportunity differ in the story you have told, the audieence you are reaching or otherwise?

(150 words) Describe how the meeting/course will enhance your professional development (100-300 words) Justify your requested grant amount (10-150 words) ONLY POSTDOCS: Provide a description of your graduate research experience (200 words) Describe your record of service to the scientific community (350 words) Statement of current research and what you plan to present at the conference (350 words) Your Curriculum Vitae in PDF form Name and email address of two references who can provide letters of recommendation (letters due the same day as the application submission deadline) GSA members who are graduate students or postdocs may apply for a DeLill Nasser Award.

Only those with current membership in either the graduate student or postdoc category will be able to access the application form. Join or renew today to make your GSA membership active for now through the end of next year. Post-baccalaureates, lab technicians, or individuals who are searching for faculty positions but are no longer postdocs are not eligible.

In the first round, the DeLill Nasser Award Selection Committee will consider: Significance of research: Research must be in genetics and not, for example, biophysics Research with higher impact on the field would be reviewed more favorably Applicant-initiated science is an asset Letters of recommendation Demonstrated service and leadership (primarily for postdoctoral applicants) Seniority of student/postdoc (applicants nearing the end of their postdoctoral training or graduate degree who have been productive are generally given higher priority over those at the start of their training).

In the second round, the DeLill Nasser Award Selection Committee will consider: The level of genetic content at the conference or course you would like to attend. For example, conferences or courses focusing on neuroscience or developmental biology would be given lower priority than conferences/courses with high genetic content, unless the applicant can make a compelling case. I am the recipient of a DeLill Nasser Award.

Can you please make the check out to my institution so that I don’t need to pay taxes on this award? The DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics is awarded to individuals, not institutions; as such, we make the check out to the award winner. Each winner must fill out a Form W-9 (US citizens) or a Form W-8BEN (citizens outside of the US) for the Internal Revenue Service.

Please plan for your taxes accordingly. My reference(s) didn’t get an email asking them to upload the recommendation letter. What should I do?

Make sure that the email address for your reference was entered correctly. Have your reference check their spam folder. If neither of the above explains why the email was not received, please email: society@genetics-gsa.

org. Can I use the DeLill Nasser Award to attend any conference? Yes!

A DeLill Nasser Award may be used to attend any course or conference that would enhance the recipient’s professional development in genetics. The application form says I am not eligible for the award, but I am a member of GSA. What should I do?

If you recently joined, please wait 20 minutes and then refresh the page before entering the site so your membership status will be updated. If the problem persists, please email: society@genetics-gsa. org .

Support the DeLill Nasser Fund The DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics is made possible by generous contributions from our donors. Please consider contributing to support our community’s early career members.

University of Central Florida University of Wisconsin–Madison Sam Houston State University University of California, San Diego University at Buffalo, SUNY University of Pennsylvania University of California, Santa Cruz Washington State University University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus University of Wisconsin–Madison University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Chicago University of Southern California University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Indiana University, Bloomington University of California, San Diego University of California, Berkeley University of Medical Sciences University of California, Davis University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University of California, Los Angeles University of Pennsylvania University College, London University of California, Los Angeles Case Western Reserve University Michigan State University University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Pittsburgh/Duke University University of British Columbia University of Wisconsin, Madison University of California, San Diego University of Texas, Austin University of Massachusetts, Boston Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville Carnegie Institution for Science University of California, San Diego University of Alabama, Birmingham University of California, Davis University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Albert Einstein College of Medicine University of Wisconsin, Madison University of British Columbia University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill The Jackson Laboratory/Tufts University National Institutes of Health University at Buffalo, SUNY University of Nevada, Reno University of British Columbia Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of California Santa Barbara Salk Institute for Biological Studies California Institute of Technology Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth The University of Queensland; Garvan Institute of Medical Research University of California Irvine University of North Carolina at Charlotte Stowers Institute for Medical Research University of British Columbia Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Southern California University of North Carolina Chapel Hill California Institute of Technology University of California, Santa Cruz UT Southwestern Medical Center University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University of California, Davis Gladstone Institutes at UCSF The Rockefeller University Stowers Institute for Medical Research University of California, Irvine University of California, Davis University of Hawaii at Manoa The University of Queensland University of British Columbia Stanford University School of Medicine University College London University of Southern California University College London École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) University of Pennsylvania University of British Columbia The University of Texas at Austin Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill National Human Genome Research Institute University of Wisconsin – Madison Georgia Institute of Technology Carnegie Institution for Science Indiana University at Bloomington University of California, San Diego Duke University Medical Center University of Crete, Greece Agriculture CSIRO, Canberra, Australia University of Toronto, Canada University of California, San Diego Columbia University Medical Center University of California, San Francisco University of Wisconsin – Madison University of California, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley University of Sydney, Australia Monash University, Australia University of California, San Francisco University of British Columbia University of California, San Diego University of California, Davis University of Wisconsin – Madison Columbia University Medical Center University of Wisconsin – Madison Pennsylvania State University Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Pennsylvania North Carolina State University University of California – Las Angeles Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center University of California – Santa Barbara Stowers Institute for Medical Research Massachusetts General Hospital University of California San Diego University of California, San Francisco University of California Riverside University of California – San Francisco Massachusetts General Hospital University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wisconsin-Madison Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Duke University Medical Center University of Wisconsin-Madison Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Michigan State University University California, Berkeley University California, Berkeley University California, Berkeley Baylor College of Medicine University of California – Berkeley Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center University of Wisconsin-Madison Tufts University School of Medicine Harvard Medical School & Brigham & Women’s Hospital Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research University of Wisconsin-Madison Nationwide Childrens Hospital Research California Institute of Technology University of Colorado-Denver University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School California Institute of Technology Terrence Donnolly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research University of British Columbia Nationwide Children’s Hospital Stowers Institute for Medical Research University Southern Mississippi University of Wisconsin-Madison Western Oregon University College of Southern Idaho Without the DeLill Nasser award, I would not have been able to attend 60th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, where I presented the culmination of my graduate work and received valuable feedback.

We even have a collaboration that is going to begin as a result of the conference. I also attended the Peer Review Workshop, the Publishing Q&A, and helped moderate the New Faculty Forum sessions. I learned an invaluable amount that will influence my scientific career for many years to come.

Donate to support our work. Stay informed with the GSA e-News.