Honorific Awards

2025 Award Nominations are Now Closed

Nominations for ASGCT's Honorific Awards will re-open in May 2025.

Grants & Awards

Outstanding Achievement Award

The ASGCT Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes an ASGCT member who has achieved a pioneering research success, a specific high impact accomplishment, or a lifetime of significant contributions to the field of gene and cell therapy. It is the Society’s highest honor.

Outstanding New Investigator Awards

Several Outstanding New Investigators are recognized each year based on their contributions to the field of gene and cell therapy. Investigators from academia, research foundations, government, and industry are all eligible to be nominated for awards.

George Stamatoyannopoulos Mentorship Award

This honorific award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions toward the mentorship, training, education, or support of students, residents, fellows, trainees, or other early career professionals either through formal training programs or through non-traditional means.

Jerry Mendell Award for Translational Science

Named for the first person to study viral mediated gene therapy for muscular dystrophy in humans, and the principal investigator in the study that led to the FDA approval of Zolgensma to treat SMA, the Jerry Mendell Award for Translational Science recognizes the extensive work required to bring gene and cell therapies to clinical trial.

Sonia Skarlatos Public Service Award

Named for its inaugural co-recipient and tireless gene therapy advocate, the Society’s Sonia Skarlatos Public Service Award recognizes a person or group that has consistently fostered and enhanced the field of gene and cell therapy through governmental agencies, public policy groups, public education, or non-governmental charitable organizations.

Catalyst Award

The ASGCT Catalyst Award recognizes an ASGCT member or team of professionals who have had an extraordinary impact on the translation of gene and cell therapies.

Founders Award

Established in 2022, the ASGCT Founders Award recognizes a pioneering contributor to the gene and cell therapy field. It is among the Society’s highest honors and the recipient presents a keynote lecture highlighting their accomplishments that led to the award.

Best of Molecular Therapy Award

This award highlights the contribution of a lead author under the age of 40 to the Molecular Therapy family of journals.

Award for Excellence in Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This honorific award recognizes individuals, organizations, or other entities for their outstanding contributions toward the Society’s principles and programs advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

Exemplary Service Award

This honorific award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to ASGCT and their commitment to Society’s mission to advance knowledge, education, and awareness of gene and cell therapy.  

Meritorious Abstract Travel Awards

ASGCT supports the travel of approximately 150 Associate Members each year through the Meritorious Abstract Travel Award program. Recipients will receive a certificate and a travel reimbursement stipend of up to $500 for domestic awardees and $600 for international awardees to the Annual Meeting.

Excellence in Research Award

Each year the ASGCT Abstract Review Committee for the Annual Meeting selects the top six abstracts submitted by students and fellows to receive Excellence in Research Awards.

Outstanding Poster Presentation Awards

The top poster presentations from each of the three poster sessions that occur during the ASGCT Annual Meeting are awarded Outstanding Poster Presentation Awards.

Underrepresented Minority Travel Awards

First introduced in 2016, the ASGCT Underrepresented Minority Travel Awards honor and support ASGCT Associate Members who submitted abstracts to the Annual Meeting.

2024

Breakthroughs in Muscular Dystrophy

November 19-20, 2024 | Chicago, IL