The Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards are named in honor of Masakazu (Mark) Konishi, a leader in the neurobiological study of natural behavior. Konishi’s outstanding work on prey capture by owls and singing in songbirds continues to excite and inspire neuroethologists around the world.
The Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards are intended to promote research by early career investigators. Funds awarded can be used to cover any direct research expenses (including travel to a field site) but conference travel, participation in formal workshops or courses, and salaries are excluded. Applications will be reviewed on the basis of scientific merit, feasibility of the project, and consistency with the mission of the ISN.
Application Guidelines and Eligibility
Detailed application and evaluation instructions can be found here. In brief however, all early career investigators who are members of the ISN at the time of application, are eligible. For the purposes of this research award, an early career investigator is defined as a graduate student currently enrolled in a doctoral program or an investigator who has received a doctoral degree within the past 10 years. Investigators more than 10 years beyond the doctoral degree are welcome to apply, but must provide a statement on their biosketch explaining why their career path was interrupted.
Neuroethology seeks to understand the neural bases of natural animal behavior; thus all research topics encompassed within the field of neuroethology will be considered.
Applicants should submit a short research proposal that includes a brief motivation for the funds requested (maximum 4 pages), as well as a brief biosketch (maximum 2 pages). Proposals should be sent as a single PDF file to: clapine@allenpress.com.
Funds are available to support a small number of awards of up to $2,500. Awards are not renewable. Early career investigators may only apply for a single award per deadline. Awardees may apply for a subsequent award for a different project, but priority will be given to new applicants over previous awardees.
2022 Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards Winner
Eva Fischer: Exploring neural mechanisms of juvenile aggression using in vivo calcium imaging
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
Fabio Cortesi: Colour vision plasticity in the clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris
University of Queensland, Australia
2021 Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards Winner
Fanny de Busserolles: Brain morphology and sensory specializations in deep-sea lanternfish
University of Queensland
Madza Farias-Virgens: Vocalizing in a complex and crowded forest: An investigation of a unique hummingbird solution
UCLA
2020 Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards Winner
Zahra Bagheri: Real Decisions: decision making in freely moving animals
University of Western Australia, Australia
Maria Sotelo: Sleeping in a social context: the effects of cohabitation on daily rhythms and the role of oxytocin
University of Michigan, USA
Juan Salazar: Visual and tactile complementation related to nocturnal feeding in night jars
University of Chile, Chile
2019 Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards Winner
Torben Stemme: Chemosensory organs of camel spiders
Ulm University, Germany
Fernanda Duque: Neural basis for social behavior in highly aggressive female hummingbirds
Georgia State University, USA
Angeles Salles: Listening to conspecifics: molecular studies in echolocating bats
Johns Hopkins University, USA
2018 Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards Winner
Jonathan Benichov: Premotor control of coordinated vocalizations in zebra finches
Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2016 Konishi Neuroethology Research Awards Winners
Gervasio Batista : Translational control of structural plasticity during the critical period for imprinting
Albert Einstein College
Gervasio Batista: Translational control of structural plasticity during the critical period for imprinting
Albert Einstein College
Kathryn Feller: The sensory-strike conversion: Neural control of the predatory strike behavior in stomatopods
University of Bristol, UK
Past Recipients
2015
Michael Yartsev: Neural basis of vocal learning in bats: The first mammalian animal model
UC Berkely
Lisa Mangiamele: Neuromuscular mechanisms of multimodal signaling in the foot-flagging frog
Smith College
2014
2014
Martin How: Polarization vision in fiddler crabs: using behaviour to test neural models
University of Bristol
Lauren O’Connell: Neural basis of paternal care in a poison frog
Harvard College
Jessica Fox: Measuring haltere movements during body rotations in flight
Case Western Reserve University
Awards Selection Committee
Other Awards:
Heiligenberg Student Travel Awards
The Capranica Neuroethology Prize
The Developing Neuroethology Award
The Young Investigator Awards
Fellow of the International Society for Neuroethology
2014