ASM Microbiome Prize

About this program

The ASM Microbiome Prize, administered by the American Society for Microbiology and the American Academy of Microbiology with support from the ASM Corporate Council and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, honors distinguished research that advances understanding of multispecies microbial communities, including advances in data stewardship, analysis, theory, methods, teaching or discovery; the award includes $1,700, a one-time ASM journal publication fee waiver, an invitation to speak at ASM Microbe and a commemorative keepsake. Eligible candidates are scientists at any career stage and may be nominated or apply directly (policy in effect from 2024); submissions may highlight a single exceptional achievement or an aggregate of impactful contributions. Applications require an ASM account, an application form and two letters of support, while nominations require a nominator account, the nominee’s CV and subsequent CV highlights entered by the nominee. Selection prioritizes demonstrable impact on the microbiome research community (e.g., citations, tool/data usage), leadership and strong external letters; deadline: June 15, 2026.