Angelika Amon. Credit: Constance Brukin, courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives
Pioneering geneticist and cell biologist Angelika Amon (1967-2020) was a dedicated mentor, guide, advocate, and friend to many scientists. From her five years as a fellow at the Whitehead Institute and through her time as a faculty member at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, she trained countless undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and technicians—sharing with them her lifelong passion for fundamental biology and discovery science. The ripple effect of Angelika’s inspiration and counsel is profound. Amon Lab alumni have set up their own labs in numerous universities and research institutes around the world.
The Angelika Amon Young Scientist Award at MIT's Koch Institute is an endowed prize established in 2021 by family and friends and awarded annually to two graduate students in the life sciences or biomedical research from institutions outside the United States who embody Dr. Amon’s excellence in research and infectious enthusiasm for basic science. Winners receive approximately 1,000 USD, economy airfare, and hotel accommodations to visit the Koch Institute for several days to network with MIT faculty, postdocs and graduate students working at the top of their fields. The visit culminates with a scientific presentation at MIT and award ceremony.
Mid- to late-stage graduate students currently pursuing advanced degrees in the life sciences or biomedical research at non-US institutions are eligible to apply. Applicants must be available to travel to MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA for several days (on campus at least Monday, November 3 – Thursday, November 6, 2025, inclusive) and will be provided with economy travel, up to six (6) nights of hotel accommodation near the Koch Institute, and a monetary award of approximately 1,000 USD.
Please submit application as a single email to amon_award_ki@mit.edu by 11:59 PM EDT Friday, June 13, 2025.
Required application components, to be combined in a single PDF (please follow this order):
- Cover page, including applicant information: name, address, home institution, department/degree program, email, and phone
- Research summary or abstract of graduate thesis (300 words maximum)
- Current CV
- Written personal statement (one page limit) addressing the following questions: What led you to discovery science? How did you get to this stage of research? What do you hope to do next? How does this award resonate with your goals?
- Video (3 minute maximum, shared via YouTube link only) addressing the following question: What are most excited about in your research?
Required letters of institutional support:
- Two letters of institutional support from applicant's home and/or affiliated institution, including one letter from the graduate research supervisor
- The letters should be written on the writer's institutional letterhead and saved as a PDF with the filename "[Applicant last name]_[Applicant first name]_[LETTER WRITER LAST NAME].pdf". E.g., a letter of support for applicant Jane Doe from letter writer Prof. Smith will have the filename Doe_Jane_SMITH.pdf
- To be accepted, the letters must be emailed ahead of the application deadline directly to amon_award_ki@mit.edu by the letter writer, using the letter writer's institutional email account
- The subject line of the email should read "Letter of support for [Applicant first and last name]"
- The applicant and letter writer will receive a confirmation email after the letters have been received. NB—this is not an automated process and may take several days
Please email amon_award_ki@mit.edu with any questions.
2024
Anna Uzonyi, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Lukas Teoman Henneberg, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
2023
Johanna Gassler, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austria & Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
Ruxandra-Andreea Lambuta, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
2022
Alejandro Aguilera Castrejon, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Melanie de Almeida, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Austria
Support the Award
Gifts to the Amon Young Scientist Award can be made online or by contacting Karen Sveda, Managing Director of Development, at ksveda@mit.edu or (617) 324-7399.