Awards & Honors
.jpg)
Each year the Entomological Society of America, the Entomological Society of America Certification Corporation, and the Entomological Foundation provide annual honors and awards to recognize scientists, educators, and students, who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to entomology.
Below is a list of the current awards that are being offered. For additional information on how to nominate someone click on the award name. To see an overview list of the awards, view the Awards Eligibility Grid.
ESA's Branches also offer a variety of awards for Branch members. For more information on Branch awards, visit ESA's Branches page and select your Branch.
Awards Deadlines
Founders' Memorial Award - March 15
ESA Fellows and Honorary Member Awards - March 15
ESA Professional Awards, Early Career Awards, and Student Awards - June 1
ESA Certification Corporation Awards - June 1
Entomological Foundation Awards - June 1
Professional Awards
The purpose of Honorary Members is to emphasize the high value that the ESA places on service by its members. This award recognizes extraordinary service by ESA members who have had significant involvement in the affairs of the Society for at least 20 years. View previous winners.
The purpose of this award is to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to entomology and thereby highlight their career accomplishments to inspire all entomologist. They need not be members of the Society. View previous winners.
The purpose of this award is two-fold: to honor the legacy of a scientist who made contributions that had a significant impact on the field of entomology and to bring attention to a current entomologist with outstanding credentials in a similar field who can present an informative and engaging lecture at the ESA Annual Meeting. View previous winners.
This award, sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection, shall be made on the basis of outstanding contributions that relate directly to Integrated Pest Management (IPM). View previous winners.
This award recognizes creative entomologist who have demonstrated the ability to find alternative solutions to problems that significantly impact entomology. View previous winners.
This award recognizes outstanding contributions to extension entomology. View previous winners.
The purpose of this award is to honor the role of entomological education as a basis for the entire discipline by recognizing an ESA member who is deems to the most outstanding educator of the year. View previous winners.
Early Career Professional Awards
The purpose of this grant is to provide research funds to postdoctoral ESA members who have at least one year of promising work experience, are undertaking research in selected areas of insect control, and have demonstrated a high level of scholarship. View previous winners.
This award honors young professionals working within the field of entomology who have demonstrated innovation through contributions within any area of specialization (research, teaching, extension, product development, public service, etc.). View previous winners.
This award is given to a student transition or early professional who excels in entomological education. View previous winners.
This award is given to a student transition or early professional who excels in entomological extension. View previous winners.
This award recognizes a student transition or early professional who has made outstanding research contributions to the field of entomology. View previous winners.
This award honors a student transition or early professional working within the field of entomology who has demonstrated excellence, leadership, and creativity in outreach and public engagement. View previous winners.
Student Awards
The John Henry Comstock Graduate Student award is sponsored by ESA and is given to an outstanding graduate (usually Ph. D. level) student from each Branch of the ESA. The award consists of an all-expense-paid trip to the ESA Annual Meeting, a $100 cash prize, and a certificate. Expenses paid include reimbursed airfare, free hotel arrangements, free meeting registration, and a per diem allowance. In addition, the award winner will be recognized and asked to give a 25-minute research presentation at the Eastern Branch Annual Meeting.
The North Central Branch Student Travel Scholarships provide funds to help support student travel to present at the North Central Branch meeting. Scholarships are for $200 and recipients will be acknowledged in the program book.
The John Henry Comstock Award is given to one graduate student from each of the Entomological Society of America's six Branches to promote interest in the science of entomology at the graduate level and to stimulate interest in attending the ESA Annual Meeting. The award includes an all-expense-paid trip to the national meeting, a $1,000 cash prize, and a certificate that is presented during the ESA Annual Meeting. Awardees are not required to present a paper at the Annual Meeting.
This $1,000 scholarship recognizes graduate student members of the North Central Branch (NCB) of the Entomological Society of America for their course work and research culminating in scholarship. The award recipient will be recognized at the NCB ESA meeting and will receive the cash award at the awards function. The recipient will be recognized in the program booklet. Self-nominations are welcomed.
The purpose of this ESA award is to encourage graduate students working with insects or other arthropods in the broad areas of physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to affiliate with ESA's Integrative Physiological and Molecular Insect Systems Section and to attend the ESA Annual Meeting. View previous winners.
This ESA award recognizes Dr. Larry Larson's role as a leader and pioneer in insect management and carries that legacy to the next generation of leaders in applied entomology. View previous winners.
Sponsored by Monsanto Company, this award will be presented annually to recognize a student for outstanding contributions to the Society, his/her academic department, and the community, while still achieving academic excellence. View previous winners.
These six awards are given to one graduate student from each ESA Branch to promote interest in entomology at the graduate level and to stimulate interest in attending the ESA Annual Meeting. View previous winners.
This award recognizes a Pacific Branch entomology student (undergraduate or graduate) for outstanding leadership in his/her department, university, community, and professional societies, while still achieving academic excellence.
Any questions regarding the award or nomination process, please contact Chuck Burks.
The Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America is offering a limited number of travel awards to student members attending this year’s PBESA meeting. These grants will provide up to $500 to help offset travel and attendance costs. Students and/or their advisor are responsible for all remaining costs incurred to attend the meeting. This travel grant program is intended to encourage student involvement in the PBESA annual meeting while they are in the early stage of their career.
The Kirby L. Hays Memorial Award is sponsored by ESA-SEB. One award is given each year to an outstanding M.S. student. The recipient is recognized with a $200 cash award and a plaque at the annual Branch meeting.
ESA Section Awards
Video Contest
Every year, ESA invites entomologists, insect enthusiasts, and both professional and amateur videographers to showcase the world of insect science through video. All entries are showcased on the ESA YouTube Channel, and videos are judged for their creativity, entomological accuracy, sound quality, video quality, and editing. Winning video teams earn cash prizes and are honored at the ESA Annual Meeting.
ESA Certification Corporation Awards
The purpose of the award is to recognize superior contributions of an ACE in the field of structural pest management. View previous winners.
The purpose of this award is to encourage, recognize, and reward outstanding contributions to the ESA Certification Program and the professionalism of entomology. View previous winners.
This award recognizes and encourages outstanding entomology graduate students with interest in the mission of the ESA certification program. View previous winners.
Entomological Foundation Awards
The Entomological Foundation Medal of Honor was established in 2007 and it is the highest award presented by the Foundation. It is given only to those who have made outstanding contributions toward fulfillment of the Foundation’s mission or entomological outreach. View previous winners.
This award recognizes educators who have gone beyond the traditional teaching methods by using insects as educational tools in grades K-6 and grades 7-12. View previous winners.
Visit Discontinued Awards for a list of awards that are no longer being offered.