Behavioral & Social Sciences Awards

Please choose an award name on the right to view specific details and requirements.

Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award

Richard Kalish

The Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award recognizes insightful and innovative publications on aging and life course development in the behavioral and social sciences. Any empirical or conceptual publication which represents state-of-the-art thinking in aging and life course development is eligible for the award provided it is in English and was published in the last three years.

Two $250 awards (one for an article and one for a book) are underwritten by Baywood Publishing Company, with whom Dr. Kalish was long associated.

Deadline
May 1st
Requirements

Nominations must be made by a GSA member.
A current Curriculum Vitae.
A statement of the publication's impact.
Send six (6) hard copies of books to GSA, digital copies of articles
Copies of any published reviews.

In order to nominate someone for the Richard Kalish Award, please send your nomination packet to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a subject of "Kalish Award Nomination - NOMINEE NAME HERE." Please remember to substitute your nominee's name in the subject.

Distinguished Career Contribution to Gerontology Award

The Distinguished Career Contribution Award is presented annually to an individual whose contributions over the course of his or her career have articulated a novel theoretical or methodological perspective or synthesis that addresses a significant problem in the literature.

Deadline
May 1st
Requirements

Nominees must be (or if retired, must have been) a member of the BSS Section.
Nominees must have been published with the past five (5) years.
A formal nomination letter summarizing...
- The nominee's contribution and influence.
- The nominee's impact on the field of gerontology or behavioral and social sciences in particular.
At least one (1) letter of support in addition to nomination letter.
A current Curriculum Vitae.

In order to nominate someone for the BSS Distinguished Career Award, please send your nomination packet to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a subject of "Dist. Career Award Nomination - NOMINEE NAME HERE." Please remember to substitute your nominee's name in the subject.

Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award

The Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award is given to individuals who have fostered excellence in, and had a major impact on, the field by virtue of their mentoring, and whose inspiration is sought by students and colleagues. The mentor must have had an influence on graduate, undergraduate, or professional students or junior colleagues, as evidenced by the number and accomplishments of his or her proteges. The nominee's influence on the next generation of gerontologists also may be evident through training programs, research on and written materials associated with pedagogy (e.g., textbooks, articles), supervising research, or providing clinical training.

Deadline
May 1st
Requirements

Nominees must be (or if retired, must have been) a member of the BSS Section.
A formal nomination letter summarizing the mentor's influence on students and colleagues.
A list of the nominee's proteges, their occupations, and their accomplishments.
No more than four (4) additional endorsements.
- The letters should be written by the nominee's protege's.
- The letters should be selected to reflect the range of the nominee's influence.
- The letters should provide specific information about mentoring, rather than focusing on the nominee's other professional accomplishments.
A current Curriculum Vitae.

In order to nominate someone for the BSS Distinguished Mentorship Award, please send your nomination packet to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a subject of "Dist. Mentor Award Nomination - NOMINEE NAME HERE." Please remember to substitute your nominee's name in the subject.

Student Research Award

The Behavioral and Social Sciences Section presents two awards for student papers: one at the pre-dissertation level and one at the dissertation level. Eligibility at the pre-dissertation level is limited to student members enrolled in doctoral programs who do not yet have their doctorate degree. Eligibilty at the dissertation level is limited to student members who are no more than 18 months post doctorate by the final submission deadline.

The award winner at the dissertation level receives a $1,000 cash prize and the award winner at the pre-dissertation level receives a $500 cash prize. Award winners in both categories also receive a copy of The Handbook of Aging (the Social Sciences or the Psychology edition) and a one-year GSA membership.

Final Submission Deadline
Last Monday in September.

Criteria

Applicants must be a student/ESPO member of the Behavioral and Social Sciences section.

The paper must be a completed empirical study dealing with a topic of relevance to the BSS section of GSA.
The quality of review of previous theoretical and/or empirical work.
Intelligent use and explanation of existing theory to build a context for the present paper.
Originality/Creativity
Extent to which relevant methodological aspects (e.g., sample, measures, data analysis) are adequately described.
Quality of methods (e.g., use of appropriate sampling, data collection, research design and data analytic techniques; proper execution of chosen methods).
Appropriateness of scope of the paper (e.g., does the author attempt to accomplish too much?).
Quality of Interpretation (e.g., conclusions do not extend beyond what the data indicate; awareness of study limitations; relevance to future practice, theory, or research are well-described).
Writing style/Adherence to guidelines.
Progression of Ideas.
The paper must adhere to APA style (American Psychological Association (2001), Publication Manual, 5th Ed).
The paper may not exceed 30 double-spaced pages total (including, figures, tables, references, and appendices) at a minimum of 12 point font with one-inch margins all around.
Finally, student papers must be primarily the work of the student. If the manuscript is co-authored, a letter from the other author is required that should verify that the student applicant had the primary responsibility for the work.

In order to submit for this award, please send two copies of your paper (one blind, one unblinded) with supporting documentation (letters from co-authors or advisor) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the subject "BSS Dissertation Award - YOUR NAME HERE" or "BSS Pre-Disseration Award - YOUR NAME HERE" by COB on the submission deadline date.