The NINDS Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship by an NINDS Investigator

Excellent mentorship and training are critical to the development of exceptional future scientists. To recognize the contributions and importance of outstanding mentors, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has established the NINDS Landis Mentorship Award. This annual award is named in honor of former NINDS Director Dr. Story Landis. An extraordinary individual mentor, Dr. Landis generously provided her time and energy to support countless scientific investigators as they navigated the professional landscape of biomedical research.

Each year, NINDS will select up to five (5) Landis Awardees from among faculty members who have shown dedication to superior mentorship and training in neuroscience research. Awardees will receive $100,000 (to the institution) to support their efforts to foster the career advancement of additional trainees. NINDS hopes this tangible award will impress upon the scientific community as a whole, and faculty and institutional leaders in particular, the high value NINDS places on training and mentorship. Further, NINDS hopes that it encourages institutions to reward individuals not only for outstanding research accomplishments but also for their impact on the lives of others, and the future of neuroscience, through outstanding mentorship and training.

Selection for this award will be based on first-hand knowledge of an individual's influence as a mentor. Current or former trainees can nominate faculty members who served as their mentors, and nominees will then be invited to submit additional supporting information (note: faculty members should NOT solicit nominations for themselves or others who were not their direct mentors). Because outstanding mentors exist across career stages, NINDS will rotate annual requests for nominations for junior, mid-career, and senior faculty.

NINDS will consider a number of characteristics that define outstanding mentorship to guide the final selection of Landis Awardees. These include:

• actively cultivating in mentees the pursuit of scientific excellence, whether in basic, translational, or clinical research, and rigor in experimental design, analysis, and interpretation;
• investing in their mentee's scientific and professional development and career progress, regardless of their ultimate career interest;
• contributing to excellence in research training environments and strengthening the research enterprise by inclusion of people from wide-ranging backgrounds both in their own research environment and more broadly (such as at the institutional, scientific society, and/or national level); and
• challenging mentees to achieve their full scientific potential, which includes the completion of significant research projects and meaningful contributions to the biomedical research community.

2026 - NINDS Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship Prize Competition

In Fiscal Year 2026, the Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship will be administered through the Prize Competition mechanism to better stimulate innovative mentoring approaches and to share these approaches with the community. The nomination and selection process will be largely the same; however, the prize money will now be awarded to the mentor's institution. As such, eligible mentors will need to provide a letter signed by authorized institutional official on official letterhead stating that the Institution has reviewed and agrees to the rules, terms, and conditions of the Prize competition and agrees to accept the cash prize on behalf of the mentor if the mentor is selected as a winner (see 'Full Submission Criteria" below). 

Eligibility and Participation

1. Nomination to Determine Eligibility:
   1. Initial eligibility to participate in this prize competition is based on nomination from those who have first-hand knowledge of a faculty member's outstanding mentorship. Thus, current or former trainees are invited to nominate faculty members who have served as their mentors by filling out this nomination form (note: these nominations must come directly from trainees and should NOT be solicited by the faculty mentor or institution). This year, NINDS invites nominations of outstanding mentors who are more than 20 years from the start of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position (i.e., the start date of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position was in calendar year 2005 or earlier).  Nominations are due April 24th, 2026.
       
2. Full Submission and Certification of Institutional Approval:
   1. Mentors nominated by two or more mentees will then be invited to submit additional information needed for the selection process (see "How to Enter"), pending additional eligibility criteria (see below). Note that eligible mentors invited to participate in this Prize competition must obtain approval from their institution to compete for this Award, as any cash prizes will be awarded directly to the institution in recognition of the mentor's accomplishments. NINDS encourages institutions to apply the cash prize towards fostering the research career development of their trainees under the guidance of the outstanding mentors. 

For mentors be eligible to compete in and be selected as a winner under this prize competition, they:

1. Shall have received at least two trainee-submitted nominations to warrant invitation to participate in this prize competition.
2. Shall be an established faculty member in a tenure-track or equivalent position who is more than 20 years from the start of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position (i.e., the start date of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position was in calendar year 2005 or earlier). Of note, the Landis Award cycles through early-career, mid-career, and established faculty to better evaluate faculty relative to their years of mentoring experience.
3. Shall be listed as a PI or mPI on an active* (FY26) NINDS R01, R35, U01, U54, P01, DP1, DP2 or equivalent 4-5 year duration NINDS award. *i.e., active as of 10/1/2025.

Full Submission Criteria

NINDS-funded investigators who receive 2 or more nominations from former and/or current trainees and meet the eligibility criteria will be invited via email to participate in the prize competition. Note that eligible mentors invited to participate in this prize competition must obtain approval from their institution to compete for this Award, as any cash prizes will be awarded directly to the institution in recognition of the mentor's accomplishments. NINDS encourages institutions to apply the cash prize towards fostering the research career development of current or additional students and post-doctorates under the guidance of the outstanding mentors. 

Eligible mentors will be notified via email and asked to submit the following:

• A signed Participation and Consent form attesting that they have approval from their Institution to compete in this prize competition
• A letter signed by an authorized institutional official on official letterhead stating that the Institution has reviewed and agrees to the rules, terms, and conditions of the prize competition and agrees to accept the cash prize on behalf of the mentor if the mentor is selected as a winner
• A statement of their mentoring approach and philosophy (1-3 pages) (see "Judging Criteria" for specific criteria to include)
• An up-to-date CV (please DO NOT send an NIH biosketch, a CV is required)
• Two representative papers published in the past 5 years (pdfs), with different trainees as
• The number of an NINDS grant that is active in Fiscal Year 2026 (i.e., active as of 10/1/25) on which the mentor is listed as a PI or mPI
• A list of all current and former trainees and a brief description of trainee accomplishments
• Letters of recommendations for this award from 8-10 current and/or former trainees. The trainees submitting the initial nomination can also provide reference letters. All letters must be from individuals who have first-hand knowledge of your mentoring activities (must have been your research trainees at some point past or present; clinical mentoring isn't relevant for this award). Each letter should be an original document composed entirely by the referee and submitted directly by the referee to the NIH Box account linked in the email by the due date below. Only one referee may contribute to an individual letter. Once ten letters have been received, no additional letters will be considered.

Judging

Submissions will be evaluated and rated on a scale of 1-3 based on each of the following four (4) criteria:

1. Demonstration of Scientific Excellence and Rigor (25%):
   1. As evidenced by actively cultivating in mentees the pursuit of scientific excellence, whether in basic, translational, or clinical research, and careful attention to rigor in experimental design, analysis, and interpretation;
      1. Examples could include: hosting formal or informal discussions surrounding experimental design, providing input and feedback on experimental design and analysis to trainees, focusing journal club reviews on methodologies and validity, etc.
          
2. Facilitation of Mentee Career Progression (25%):
   1. As evidenced by investing in their mentee's scientific and professional development and career progress, regardless of their ultimate career interest;
      1. Examples could include: supporting mentees in their desires to 1) attend professional meetings in the academic and/or private sector; 2) participate in alternative academic career programs; 3) acquire skills or experience that would advance their professional goals, etc.
          
3. Facilitation of Mentee Contributions to Science (25%):
   1. As evidenced by challenging mentees to achieve their full scientific potential, which includes the completion of significant research projects and meaningful contributions to the biomedical research community;
      1. Examples could include: helping mentees go over manuscript reviews and address reviewer concerns, providing feedback to mentees on professional presentations or chalk talks, fostering collaborations or establishing connections to accelerate their mentee's research, etc.
          
4. Contribution to Excellence in Research Training (25%):
   1. As evidenced by contributing to excellence in research training environments and strengthening the research enterprise by inclusion of people from wide-ranging backgrounds both in their own research environment and more broadly (such as at the institutional, scientific society, and/or national level).
      1. Examples could include: serving on institutional training awards (e.g., T32s, R25s, K12s), steering graduate programming through leadership positions, working with science societies to provide training or foster inclusion of trainees from wide-ranging backgrounds, etc.

Examples of each criterion have been provided, but these examples are illustrative only, and we highly encourage the inclusion of innovative and effective approaches beyond the provided examples. 

Judging will be divided into two (2) stages:

1. Pre-screening and Initial Review
   1. All Submissions will be pre-screened for eligibility with respect to compliance with the rules of the prize competition, including the submission guidelines and signed consent form as applicable. Only fully complete Submissions confirmed to meet all eligibility requirements will move forward for review and judging.
   2. Eligible Submissions will be reviewed individually by federal staff with NINDS programmatic expertise based on the evaluation criteria listed above. Each eligible submission will be reviewed individually by a minimum of two reviewers.
       
2. Judging and Final Selections
   1. At the next stage, high-scoring submissions (typically the top 10 submissions) will be presented to a judging panel of federal staff with NINDS programmatic expertise.
   2. The judges will submit their selection of winners to the Award Approving Official for a final decision on prize payments. Winners are subject to final approval by the Award Approving Official.

2025 and Earlier Award Details

• Each award is $100,000 direct cost, in the form of an administrative supplement
• Up to 5 awards per year
• Awards made once per year

Eligibility

• Only tenure track or equivalent faculty are eligible for consideration.
• Candidates must have an active NINDS R01, R35, U01, U54, P01, DP1, DP2 or equivalent, 4-5 year duration NINDS award, with at least one year left on their grant in June 2025.
• Candidates from 3 different career stages will be considered in different years:
  • 2018, 2021, 2024: Junior Faculty: Candidates who are in years 5 – 12 from the start of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position
  • 2019, 2022, 2025: Mid-Career Faculty: Candidates who are in years 13 - 20 from the start of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position
  • 2020, 2023: Senior Faculty: Candidates who are more than 20 years from the start of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position

Nomination, Application and Award Process

Phase I

A Notice will be published that solicits nominations for NINDS Landis Award Candidates. Individuals will be entered into consideration when two (2) or more former or current trainees submit nominations that describe why the candidate should be considered for the award. Nominations should briefly describe what makes the nominated individual an outstanding mentor. Nominations must include specific information on professional interactions between the nominator and nominee and the career activities and/or decisions of the nominating individual that relate to mentorship and training received from the nominee. Nominations may also include any first-hand knowledge of other activities that speak to why the nominee should be considered for a prestigious mentorship award. Specific required components of nominations will be listed in the published Notice and on the Nomination Form.

NOT NS-24-125 was published on July 19, 2024.  For 2025 awards, NINDS invites nominations of outstanding mentors who are 13-20 years from the start of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position (i.e., the start date of their first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position was between 2004-2011 inclusive). 

Phase II

NINDS will send a request to eligible individuals who have been nominated according to the guidelines, asking for:

• A statement of mentoring approach and philosophy
• A CV
• Two representative publications (pdf) that demonstrate scientific rigor/quality
• A list of all current and former trainees and a brief description of trainee accomplishments
• Letters of recommendations for this award from up to ten current and/or former trainees. If more than ten letters are received, only the first ten to arrive will be included in the application package that is sent out for review. 

Phase III

NINDS will make award recommendations to the NINDS Council, based on:

• Letters of recommendation from trainees
• Assessment of factors described in the introduction above
• Trainee outcomes (when applicable)

Phase IV

Candidate(s) chosen for the award will submit an administrative supplement request for $100,000, with a description of how the funds will be used. The funds must be used in a way that directly supports the advancement of one or more trainees towards an independent research career.  The supplemental funds may be used for support of current or additional trainees, trainee career development activities (e.g. short courses, trainee travel for the purposes of research presentations, etc.) or research supplies that directly benefit trainees in the laboratory.  The funds cannot be used to purchase equipment or for PI salary.

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