Rising Star Award

The nomination period for the 2026 Rising Star Award is closed. Further information regarding the next cycle will be shared in late October of 2026.

The SRS Rising Star award is presented to two (2) SRS early career investigators who have made significant and sustained contributions in both conducting impactful scientific research and the advocacy of sleep and circadian science through service delivery, mentorship, or public policy.

One award will be given in each of the following categories:

• Clinician Investigator: An individual who has both a research component and a clinical service component to their position (i.e., patient-oriented health services provider).
• Investigator Educator: An individual who falls outside the clinician investigator definition and who conducts sleep and circadian research.

Selection criteria generally include: 

• A body of research that is considered inspired, meritorious, and significant, which has the potential to have a major impact on the field nationally and/or internationally.
• Additional contributions that have advanced the sleep and circadian research fields.

To be eligible, the candidate must:

• Be a member in good standing with the SRS.
• Be within 10 years of having obtained a terminal degree (e.g., PhD, MD, DO) as of the nomination deadline. If the nominee is beyond 10 years of having obtained a terminal degree a description of circumstances facilitating eligibility (e.g., clinical training, maternity/paternity leave or care of dependents) under which the nominee took time away from research within 10 years of obtaining their terminal degree should be included.
• Be at the Assistant Professor level (or equivalent) or earlier career stage as of January 30, 2026.
• For Clinician Researcher award, nominees must have a clinical service component to their current position.
• Researchers who hold clinical degrees but do not currently have clinical service obligations will be viewed as Investigator Educator researchers.