Fellowship Nomination

Fellowship Criteria

The full Code of Procedure and Requirements for Fellowship Status document is available for download in PDF format.

• Nominations can be made from December 1 through February 15.
• The nominee must have been a regular member of the Society for a minimum of 5 years.
• Fellowship nominations must be made by an active fellow.
  • GSA maintains a list of active fellows.
  • The nominator must be a member of the same section as the nominee.
• Fellowship nominations must include the following items:
  • Nomination letter from a fellow of your section. (The letter must address the general criteria as well as section-specific criteria.)
  • Endorsement letter from an additional fellow of your section.
  • A current curriculum vitae (CV).

Nomination letters and CV should address each of the following minimum requirements:

• An advanced degree beyond the baccalaureate conferred by a graduate school of recognized standing, or a professional degree from an accredited professional institution
• Prior status as a Regular Member for at least five years and involvement in Society activities (i.e. presentations, chairing symposia, reviewing abstracts or articles, serving on committees or holding offices)
• Active engagement at the time of nomination in the advancement of gerontology    (4) research, e.g., administering grants, promoting methodological or statistical improvements
• Five years of acceptable professional experience
• Evidence of significant contribution to or performance in the field of gerontology that is reflected in scholarly achievements such as publications in peer-reviewed journals, funded research projects, and/or acceptable professional experience in the field.  Development of innovative curricula for gerontology tracks, the winning of     teaching awards for gerontology courses, directorship of nationally recognized  aging-related policy programs are also examples of notable contributions 
• Publication of 5 works represents a minimum
  

In addition to the above requirements, each section has its own set of criteria. Please review your section's criteria before submitting your nomination:

• Biological Sciences
  
• Behavioral & Social Sciences
  
• Health Sciences
  
• Social Research, Policy, & Practice
  

Submission

Please make certain the nominee satisfies the minimum GSA Fellowship AND section-specific eligibility requirements before submitting materials.  Minimum requirements are located on page 1 of the Code of Procedure and Requirements. See section links above for additional requirements and submission instructions.

Review

After your application has been submitted, it will go through several stages of reviews. Results will be provided by mail before the Society's Annual Scientific Meeting in November, where all new fellows will be recognized at their Section's Community (Business) Meeting. Here new fellows will be presented their fellowship certificates and pins.

Once a nomination for fellowship has been accepted, there will be no communication regarding the status of the nomination until the various fellowship committees have made their decision. Attempts to communicate with the fellowship committees will be rerouted to GSA's fellowship coordinator. If you need further information or assistance, please use the Contact Us form.

Biological Sciences (BS)

Additional Criteria:

• An MD or PhD in a field relating to experimental biology and conferred by a recognized graduate school.
• At least five (5) years of research experience subsequent to the granting of the doctoral degree.
• Evidence of meritorious performance in biology or a related field.
• Publication of at least five (5) papers dealing with an aspect of the biology of the aging process.
• Active engagement in the advancement of gerontology at the time of nomination.

In order to nominate someone for fellowship through the Biological Sciences Section, please send your nomination packet (curriculum vitae, nomination letter, and endorsement letter) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a subject of "BS Fellowship Nomination - NOMINEE NAME HERE." Please remember to substitute your nominee's name in the subject.

Behavioral & Social Sciences (BSS)

Additional Criteria:

• An MD or PhD conferred by a recognized graduate school.
  • The requirement of a doctoral degree may be waived upon submission of evidence of outstanding contribution or performance in gerontology.
• Current and active involvement in the advancement of gerontology.
• Five (5) years of post-doctoral gerontological experience.
• Publication of at least five (5) works in refereed journals which contribute to the literature on gerontology in the behavioral or social sciences.

In order to nominate someone for fellowship through the Behavioral & Social Sciences Section, please send your nomination packet (curriculum vitae, nomination letter, and endorsement letter) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a subject of "BSS Fellowship Nomination - NOMINEE NAME HERE." Please remember to substitute your nominee's name in the subject.

Health Sciences (HS)

Additional Criteria:

• No additional criteria.

In order to nominate someone for fellowship through the Health Sciences Section, please send your nomination packet (curriculum vitae, nomination letter, and endorsement letter) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a subject of "HS Fellowship Nomination - NOMINEE NAME HERE." Please remember to substitute your nominee's name in the subject.

Social Research, Policy, & Practice (SRPP)

Additional Criteria:

• An advanced degree conferred by a recognized graduate school, or a professional degree from an accredited professional institution.
• Active engagement in the advancement of gerontology.
• Five (5) years of acceptable professional experience subsequent to the granting of an advanced degree.
• Unusual and outstanding contribution or performance in the field of gerontology, as evidenced by:
  • Expansion of knowledge base in gerontology.
  • Professional activities in gerontology.
  • Public leadership in gerontology.

In order to nominate someone for fellowship through the Social Research, Policy, & Practice Section, please send your nomination packet (curriculum vitae, nomination letter, and endorsement letter) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a subject of "SRPP Fellowship Nomination - NOMINEE NAME HERE." Please remember to substitute your nominee's name in the subject.