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Vote for the Rising Researcher Award

We are excited to announce our talented Finalists for the 2024 Rising Researchers Award in Australia! Make sure to click through to each candidate and carefully read their abstract, additional information and watch their fantastic introductory videos before placing your vote. Voting closes at midnight, 17 November 2024. 

Anu Thomas Koikalethu

Queensland University of Technology

Bone & Tumour Engineering

Cancer, the second leading cause of death worldwide, has impacted every one of us, through someone we know, and it is important for us to understand this complex disease before we can find ways to treat it. Your vote will recognise the significance of this worldwide healthcare problem, and further support my career in the field of cancer research.
Read My Abstract and Vote

Caitlin McDonald

Flinders University

Forensic DNA Laboratory
Machine leaning is in its infancy yet it can revolutionise areas such as forensic science; rewriting how PCR is used for DNA profiling is at the heart of my project and receiving the 2024 Promega Rising Researchers Award would be a fantastic opportunity to showcase my work. I’m passionate about blending these diverse fields to spark innovation and am eager to see how my unique approach could transform forensic investigations in the future.
Read My Abstract and Vote

Elahe Minaei

University of Wollongong

Molecular Horizons
I have extensive experience in cancer research and have developed a customised drug delivery system specifically for pancreatic cancer. Receiving the Grand Prize would provide me with the opportunity to collaborate with leading scientists and drive forward advancements in treatments that have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Read My Abstract and Vote

Le Wang

Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Marcel Doerflinger Lab (Cell Death and Infection Lab)
My research is pioneering a new approach to treat HIV infection by targeting the pro-survival mechanisms of latent-infected cells. This work has the potential to make a significant impact on global health and pave the way for new treatments that could eradicate HIV.
Read My Abstract and Vote

Stephanie Rutter

La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science

Apoptotic Cell Disassembly and Clearance Lab
I love being able to use the latest innovative technology to study the way cells disassemble during cell death. Our lab studies the impact that dying cell disassembly can have on diseases including cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases, and identify ways that we can target this process for the development of new treatments. 
Read My Abstract and Vote

Elevating Your Path to Discovery

The Promega Rising Researchers Award aims to empower you and recognise your scientific contributions and academic journey as a PhD student. We want to support you in your career development and help you get access to new resources, new insights and new connections that will broaden your horizons.

One Grand Prize winner will receive an expenses-paid visit to Promega R&D Headquarters in the United States, meeting fellow award recipients from around the world. Our remaining Finalists will each score a Promega prize pack.

To see the participating countries and for more information, visit the Rising Researchers Award home page.

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The Rising Researcher Award is pivotal, not for measuring knowledge or output, but for highlighting those young scientists whose ideas help us each to question our own perceived constraints. These exceptional individuals are not just ahead of their time—they are steering us toward new scientific perspectives and pollinating all our ideas.

Poncho Meisenheimer, VP, Research & Development
Rising Researchers 1st Place Award

Awards

1st Place

The Grand Prize recipient from each participating country wins a trip to Promega headquarters in Madison, WI USA to meet our R&D team, present their project and network with fellow global award recipients.

Public votes are cast between 16 October - 16 November 2024 for each nominee. The candidate with the most votes wins!

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Runner Up Awards

Our remaining Finalists will each receive a limited edition Promega Lab Set with LEGO® Elements and a branded duffel bag!

Terms & Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible individuals are not required to buy Promega products or pay any fees to participate. Employees of Promega Corporation and its subsidiaries and authorised distributors, and members of the immediate families of such employees, are not eligible.

The Promega Rising Researchers Award is not available in all geographic regions. Applicants should please check the Promega website, or with their Promega representative or authorised Promega distributor, for availability in their area. Void where prohibited by law.

The Promega Rising Researchers Award is available to individuals who are at least 18 years old and are a researcher or scientist that is enrolled in a life science PhD program as of the date their application for the Award is submitted. Examples of eligible life science research areas include, but are not limited to: biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, biomedical science, genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, neuroscience, ecology, immunology, and other similar research areas.

 

Entry Instructions

application iconSubmit Your Registration Form
Tell us a little about yourself

No submissions will be accepted after June, 30th, 2024. Each Applicant will be notified if they were selected a Finalist no later than July 31st, 2024. Each Finalist will be notified if they were voted a Recipient no later than December 6th, 2024.

The following illustrates the information the applicant will be asked when submitting entry to the award program. 

  • Contact Information: First name, last name, birthdate, email address, telephone, job/role, institute, street address, city, state/province (as applicable), postal code/ZIP, country.

application iconComplete the Application Form
Share your abstract and project impact

In 500 words or fewer, please provide a brief abstract of a research project applicant is currently involved in. Make sure to explain the project’s goals and applicant’s specific contribution working with research team, and be specific about lab techniques employed and results obtained. 

Please consider that some organization’s internal policy may not allow the applicant to receive incentives or that employer’s permission may need to be requested before participating in the contest.  

Please be mindful that this abstract will be shared publicly through the Promega website and consider the level of information allowed by your organization. 
Review Process & Awards

selections iconFinalists Selected
Top 5 Finalists from each participating Promega Branch
(Selected by Promega Representatives) 

Finalists will be selected, through a vetting process involving Promega Branch employees (the “Selection Committee”) based on information submitted in the application form. Each recipient will be notified by e-mail at the sole discretion of Promega, no later than Wednesday, 31 July 2024. In the event a recipient cannot receive their prize for any reason, the prize shall be awarded to an alternate winner as determined by the Promega Selection Committee.

voting iconVoting Opens
Voters must have an academic domain e-mail address
(Finalists can promote their videos to collect votes)

All of the Finalists selected by the Promega Selection Comittee will be asked to submit additional information such as a profile picture and answers to questions about their scientific background and interests. Finalists will also be asked to prepare a video up to 3 minutes long detailing their project.

This information will be made available in Promega’s website, along with a form that will allow other academic researchers to vote for one Finalist of their choice. The singular criteria for one to be able to vote will be to provide one's own academic email address, that is, an email with an academic domain, such as @harvard.edu, @stanford.edu, etc. Votes will be counted according to the voters’ country of residence, and one Finalist with the most votes per each participating Promega Branch (and the countries which they serve) will be deemed the Recipient for that Promega Branch. Therefore, the amount of Recipients corresponds to the amount of participating Promega Branches (and not the amount of participating countries).

Each Recipient will be notified by e-mail at the sole discretion of Promega, no later than Friday, December 6th, 2024.

winner iconRecipients Announced
The finalist with the most votes from each Promega Branch wins
(Grand prize trip to Madison, WI to meet our R&D)

Each Recipient will be awarded one visit to Promega Headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin (USA), with expenses covered, including transportation from and back to the Recipients’ place of residence, and acommodation and meals during the length of the Recipients’ stay. All Recipients will participate in the same visit, the date of which will be determined in agreement with the Recipients group and with reasonable and sufficient time in advance. During this visit, Recipients will participate in activities such as tours of Promega buildings and labs, one-on-one discussions with Promega scientists, lab trainings, workshops, and other activities aimed at the Recipients’ academic development.

For costs regarding Recipient passport and US Visa, please verify with your local Promega Branch.

Additional expenses incurred by individual choice of each Recipient, such as activities and purchases outside of the visit schedule, will not be covered by Promega.

Additional awards for other Finalists are at the discretion of those Finalists’ local Promega Branch.
Information Sharing

By accepting the Rising Researchers Award, the applicant will be asked to share information or data collected for marketing or commercial purposes. Specifically, winners agree to:

  • Share stories from their research with Promega in the months following them receiving the award.
  • Support promotional activities at Promega’s request for 12 months following accepting the award, which could include, but is not limited to, interviews, webinar presentations, website story features, videos, photoshoots, blogging, data sharing, and/or presenting at conferences or seminars.


This content will be shared on the Promega website (www.promega.com), the Promega blog (www.promegaconnections.com) and Promega social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Recipients must acknowledge Promega in scientific publication(s) authored by the award recipient related to the research performed and supported by the award. A detailed consent form will be provided that allows Applicants to choose which information they are willing to share and though which channels.

General

In case of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting an online entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person in whose name the e-mail account is registered. The recipient may be required to provide evidence that they are the authorised account holder of the e-mail address associated with the selected entry. Return of any award notification as undeliverable will result in forfeiture of the prize.

Entry information shall be the property of Promega. No prize transfer or cash redemption will be permitted. No prize substitution will be permitted, except by the sole discretion of Promega, in which case a prize of comparable or greater value may be awarded.

Promega reserves the right to substitute any award of equal or greater value or to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the award at its sole discretion.

By participating, applicants agree to abide by and be bound by the rules and decisions of Promega which shall be final in all respects relating to this Rising Researchers Award, including without limitation the interpretation of this rule.

Participants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Promega, and their subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, agents, representatives, and respective employees from any and all claims, charges, injuries, liability, losses and/or damages of any kind resulting from or arising out of participation in the Rising Researchers Award and/or the acceptance, use, misuse or possession of any products received through the Rising Researchers Award. Recipients of this award will be ineligible for future Rising Researchers Awards.