Society Awards
The Society for Neuroeconomics offers several awards and Fellowships.
Early Career Award
The Society for NeuroEconomics invites applications for its annual Early Career Award. The successful applicants will demonstrate significant contributions to understanding the neural basis of decision making or the impact of this knowledge on formal understanding of decision behavior.
There will be two awards granted that each include a $1,000 monetary prize and an engraved plaque, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society each year.
Eligibility
Eligible candidates are members of the Society for NeuroEconomics who have defended their PhD a maximum of 10 years prior to the time they are considered (minus career breaks due to e.g. parental leave). Less senior researchers, including postdocs, are therefore also eligible. Candidates need to present evidence of engagement with the Society for Neuroeconomics (for example, membership, conference attendance, or committee work).
Application Process
Applicants for the Award must submit a pdf file consisting of:
- a one page description of their work and its relevance to the award criteria
- a current CV
- confirmation of time since PhD defence
- confirmation of career breaks due to e.g. parental leave, which will be subtracted from the time since PhD defence
Extensions will be considered for nominees who have taken time away from research for reasons such as medical, disability, childbirth, family care, natural disasters, active duty military service, and non-research employment. Nomination materials should include information supporting the need for an extension which will be kept confidential (available to the Awards Committee and the President). The award committee will consider extension requests on a case-by-case basis as the nominations are evaluated. Prior approval for an extension is not necessary.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the President of the Society. The committee will consist of 6-8 members who have been engaged with the Society for NeuroEconomics and who reflect the society’s diversity of academic disciplines (neuroscience, economics, psychology) and institutions. Members whose previous mentees or close collaborators applied cannot contribute to the final selection.
The committee will select the winner based on the following criteria:
- Is the research novel and creative?
- Does the research have the potential to change how we think about neuroeconomics?
- Is the research characterized by rigorous, innovative and interdisciplinary scientific methods?
- Does the research build upon existing neuroeconomics research in scholarly ways?
- Is the research influencing multiple fields within and outside of neuroeconomics?
Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by a member of the Society.
Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2024 at 11:59pm Central Daylight Time.
2023 Winner
Rafael Polania
Rafael was born in Colombia. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. In 2006, he moved to Germany to pursue his Master’s degree in Computer Science, and shortly after he received his PhD degree in Neuroscience with honors (Summa Cum Laude) at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Afterward, Rafa was a senior researcher at the Department of Economics at the University of Zürich (Switzerland) and spent some time at Columbia University (New York, USA) at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy in the Department of Economics where he investigated the neuro-computational mechanisms underlying human decision making. Shortly after, Rafa was awarded the prestigious ERC Grant and became Assistant Professor of Decision Neuroscience at the Department of Health Sciences and Technologies at ETH Zurich in 2018. In the same year, he was mentioned Honorary Fellow at the Department of Economics at the University of Zürich. Rafael’s research agenda includes the development of theories and concepts of neuroeconomic behavior based on neuroimaging, causal interventions, and formal mathematical models to reveal the nature of human (i)rationality, with the goal of applying these concepts to understand economic behavior and improve clinical diagnostics and treatments. Since 2024, Rafa leads HERENCIA, a Swiss organization that works on establishing precise medicine, equitable care models, and informed social strategies to prevent Alzheimer’s and other Neurodegenerative disorders globally. Rafa is the Director of International Relations and Operations at HERENCIA. In his spare time, Rafa loves playing soccer, table tennis, hiking, and skiing with Alejandro and Lena (his two little kids) and Joanna (his wife)!
Assistant Professor, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Director of International Relations and Operations, HERENCIA, Switzerland
2023 Winner
Candace M. Raio
Candace Raio is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University Grossman School of Medicine where she serves as PI and Director of the Stress and Affective Neuroscience (SAN) Lab. She received her PhD in experimental psychology from NYU’s Department of Psychology and completed her postdoctoral training in decision neuroscience at NYU’s Neuroscience Institute. Her work focuses on how stress exposure affects the cognitive, neural and computational mechanisms that support affective regulation and decision-making. The ultimate goal of her work is to inform treatment for stress-related psychiatric disorders and behaviors in which stress serves as a key precipitating factor. She is the recipient of the Association for Psychological Science’s Rising Star Award, a NARSAD Young Investigator Award, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s Early Career Leadership Award and was recently elected as a member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Her research has been supported from the National Institutes of Health as well as the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Previous Early Career Award Winners
2022 – Claire Gillan & Robb Rutledge
2021 – Amitai Shenhav & Cendri Hutcherson
2020 – Oriel Feldman Hall & Ryan Webb
2019 – Catherine Hartley & Gregory Samanez Larkin
2018 – Molly Crockett & Uma Karmarkar
2017 – Agnieszka Tymula & Ian Krajbich
2016 – Tali Sharot, PhD & Vinod Venkatraman, PhD
2015 – Hilke Plassmann, PhD & Ming Hsu, PhD
2014 – Joseph Kable, PhD
2013 – Tim Behrens, PhD & Daphna Shohamy, PhD
2012 – Nathaniel Daw, PhD
2011 – Camillo Padoa Schioppa, PhD
2010 – Todd Hare, PhD
2009 – Ben Hayden, PhD
Mid-Career Award
The Society for NeuroEconomics invites applications for its annual Mid-Career Award. The successful applicants will demonstrate significant and lasting contributions to understanding the neural basis of decision making or the impact of this knowledge on formal understanding of decision behavior.
There will be up to one award granted that includes a $1,000 monetary prize and an engraved plaque, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society each year.
Eligibility
Eligible candidates are active members of the Society for NeuroEconomics who have defended their PhD between 10 and 20 years prior to the time they are considered (minus career breaks due to e.g. parental leave). If the applicant has already received the Society’s Early Career Award, then only the work published since the time of the receipt of that award will be evaluated. Candidates need to present evidence of engagement with the Society for Neuroeconomics (for example, membership, conference attendance, or committee work).
Application Process
Applicants for the Award must submit a pdf file consisting of:
- a one page description of their work and its relevance to the award criteria
- a current CV
- confirmation of time since PhD defence
- confirmation of career breaks due to e.g. parental leave, which will be subtracted from the time since PhD defence
Extensions will be considered for nominees who have taken time away from research for reasons such as medical, disability, childbirth, family care, natural disasters, active duty military service, and non-research employment. Nomination materials should include information supporting the need for an extension which will be kept confidential (available to the Awards Committee and the President). The award committee will consider extension requests on a case-by-case basis as the nominations are evaluated. Prior approval for an extension is not necessary.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the President of the Society. The committee will consist of 6-8 members who have been engaged with the Society for NeuroEconomics and who reflect the society’s diversity of academic disciplines (neuroscience, economics, psychology) and institutions. Members whose previous mentees or close collaborators applied cannot contribute to the final selection.
The committee will select the winner based on the following criteria:
- Is the research novel and creative?
- Does the research have the potential to change how we think about neuroeconomics?
- Is the research characterized by rigorous, innovative and interdisciplinary scientific methods?
- Does the research build upon existing neuroeconomics research in scholarly ways?
- Is the research influencing multiple fields within and outside of neuroeconomics?
Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by a member of the Society.
Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2024 at 11:59pm Central Daylight Time.
Best Dissertation Award
In order to acknowledge the exceptional work done by PhD students and to encourage excellence in the scholarship, research and writing in the field of neuroeconomics, SNE is pleased to invite submissions for its Best Dissertation Award. This award recognizes the best PhD thesis in neuroeconomics concluded in the year preceding the submission deadline of May 31, 2024.
The Award consists of a complimentary One-year Membership to the Society for Neuroeconomics (2025). You may also nominate up to two (2) other colleagues to receive a complimentary membership should you wish.
Eligibility
To be considered, applicants must have successfully defended their dissertation in the year preceding the deadline (June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024). Applicants cannot submit the same work for the Paper of the Year Award. Candidates need to present evidence of engagement with the Society for Neuroeconomics (for example, membership, conference attendance, or committee work).
Application Process
Each submission, consisting of a single PDF file, must provide the following:
- Confirmation of thesis submission (either PhD diploma from an accredited institution, or a document from the PhD program confirming submission if still awaiting the degree)
- 1-page summary of the contributions made by the thesis to the field of neuroeconmics
- Full thesis and paper
- A published paper, a preprint or working paper from the thesis work
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the President of the Society. The committee will consist of 6-8 members who have been engaged with the Society for NeuroEconomics and who reflect the society’s diversity of academic disciplines (neuroscience, economics, psychology) and institutions. Members whose previous mentees or close collaborators applied cannot contribute to the final selection.
The committee will select the winning thesis based on the following criteria:
- Is the research novel and creative?
- Does the research have the potential to change how we think about neuroeconomics?
- Is the research characterized by rigorous, innovative and interdisciplinary scientific methods?
- Does the research build upon existing neuroeconomics research in scholarly ways?
- Is the research influencing multiple fields within and outside of neuroeconomics?
The review committee will shortlist and select candidates based on the 1-page summary.
Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2024 at 11:59pm Central Daylight Time.
2023 Winner
Post Doctoral Associate, Yale University
Joseph Heffner
“Emotion prediction errors guide socially adaptive behaviour.”
Joey is a postdoctoral associate at Yale in the Rutledge Lab. He received his PhD from Brown University under the mentorship of Oriel FeldmanHall, where he studied how violations of emotion expectations predict social decisions such as punishing norm transgressors. His current research combines natural language processing, computational modeling, longitudinal experience sampling, and neuroimaging to explore questions like: What is the functional role of emotions in learning and choice? How are emotions organized and related to low-level constructs like mood and core affect? How does language express information about our mental health? How do different symptoms of depression including apathy, avolition, and low mood relate to everyday decisions? Joey is interested in identifying computational assays and brain networks that map onto different depression dimensions.
Previous Dissertation Award Winners
Best Dissertation Award
2022:
Weikang Shi
“Causal Function and Bias Correlation of the Orbitofrontal Cortex in Economic Choices. “
2021:
Dr. Vered Kurtz-David, Tel Aviv University
“Investigation of Economic Inconsistency and Behavior, and their Neural Mechanisms”
Paper of the Year Award
In order to acknowledge the exceptional work done in the field of neuroeconomics, SNE is pleased to invite submissions for its Paper of the Year Award. Up to two (2) awards will be provided based on the submissions received.
The Award consists of a complimentary One-year Membership to the Society for Neuroeconomics (2025). You may also nominate up to two (2) other colleagues to receive a complimentary membership should you wish.
Eligibility
Members of the Society for Neuroeconomics who are in good standing can nominate papers (including their own). Papers must be original research published in peer-reviewed journals. Reviews and meta-analyses are not eligible for the award. Applicants cannot submit the same work for the Best Dissertation Award. Candidates need to present evidence of engagement with the Society for Neuroeconomics (for example, membership, conference attendance, or committee work).
Application Process
Each submission must provide the following:
- Link to the paper
- 500-word statement explaining why the paper deserves the award
Selection Process
- Applications will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the President of the Society. The committee will consist of 6-8 members who have been engaged with the Society for NeuroEconomics and who reflect the society’s diversity of academic disciplines (neuroscience, economics, psychology) and institutions. Members whose previous mentees or close collaborators applied cannot contribute to the final selection.
- The committee will shortlist up to 10 papers based on the submitted statements.
- Shortlisted papers are read by the committee and the winner is picked
Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2024 at 11:59pm Central Daylight Time.
2023 Winner
Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
“Distinct forms of regret linked to resilience versus susceptibility to stress are regulated by region-specific CREB function in mice.”
Durand-de Cuttoli, R., Martínez-Rivera, F. J., Li, L., Minier-Toribio, A., Holt, L. M., Cathomas, F., Yasmin, F., Elhassa, E.O., Shaikh, J.F., Ahmed, S., Russo, S.J., Nestler, E.J., & Sweis, B. M. (2022). Science Advances, 8(42).
Dr. Romain Durand-de Cuttoli received his BS in Biology in 2012 from Aix-Marseille University, France, and his MSc in Neuroscience in 2014 jointly from Université Pierre et Marie Curie and École Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. In 2018, he completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Sorbonne Université, Paris, France under the supervision of his advisors, Drs. Alexandre Mourot and Philippe Faure. His work used a combination of cutting-edge ex and in vivo circuit physiology techniques, computational modeling, and complex behavioral paradigms to explore the role of nicotinic receptor subunits in modulating dopamine neuron activity and their impact on nicotine reinforcement (Durand-de Cuttoli et al, eLife, 2018). Dr. Durand-de Cuttoli further studied the impact of chronic nicotine exposure on complex decision-making using a reward foraging task in rodents (Dongelmans*, Durand-de Cuttoli* et al, Nature Communications, 2021).
In 2019, Dr. Durand-de Cuttoli joined the laboratory of Dr. Scott J. Russo, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, as a postdoctoral fellow in the department of Neuroscience to investigate the neurophysiological and neuroimmune underpinnings of psychiatric diseases. Dr. Durand-de Cuttoli’s background has been particularly useful in the Russo Laboratory where he has developed several projects investigating the neural basis of social decision-making and aggression motivation, the neuroimmune mechanisms underlying reward deficits in depression, as well as the impact of chronic stress exposure on neuroeconomic decision-making (Durand-de Cuttoli et al, Science Advances, 2022; Durand-de Cuttoli et al, Biological Psychiatry, 2023). As an important member of several research teams, Dr. Durand-de Cuttoli has co-authored several scientific publications and contributed to many extramural and internal grant applications.
2023 Winner
Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Humans and Machines, Max Planck Institute for Human Development
Jiang, Y., Mi, Q., & Zhu, L. (2023). Neurocomputational mechanism of real-time distributed learning on social networks. Nature Neuroscience, 26(3), 506-516. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01258-y
Yaomin Jiang is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. His research employs interdisciplinary methods to investigate learning and decision-making in human social networks and human-AI hybrid societies. He received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Peking University under the supervision of Dr. Lusha Zhu.
Previous Winners
Paper of the Year Award
2022:
Tanja Müller
“Neural and computational mechanisms of momentary fatigue and persistence in effort-based choice. Nature Communications.” Müller, T., Klein-Flügge, M. C., Manohar, S. G., Husain, M. & Apps, M. A. J. (2021) Nature Communications. 12, 4593https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24927-7
Arthur Prat-Carrabin
“Efficient coding of numbers explains decision bias and noise.” *Prat-Carrabin, A., & Woodford, M. (2022). Nature Human Behaviour, 845–848.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01352-4
2021:
Abhishek (Abhi) Banerjee, Newcastle University
“Value-guided remapping of sensory cortex by lateral orbitofrontal cortex.“
Banerjee A*, Parente G, Teutsch J, Lewis C, Voigt FF and Helmchen F (2020) Value-guided remapping of sensory cortex by lateral orbitofrontal cortex. Nature 585:245-250.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2704-z
Best Talk and Best Poster Award
For Poster & Talk Presenters
Bring your best work because all presenters will automatically be reviewed for a Best Talk and Best Poster Award. A judging committee will review all presenters on their work and their presentation execution. The winner of each will earn $100 and will be featured in post conference communication and on the website.
Best Talk Award Winners
Best Talk Presenters
2023-
Ethan Bromberg-Martin, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
“Integrating information and reward into subjective value: humans, monkeys, and the lateral habenula”
Ethan Bromberg-Martin, Yang-Yang Feng, Takaya Ogasawara, J. Kael White, Kaining Zhang, Ilya Monosov
2022-
Jo Cutler, University of Birmingham
“Damage to ventromedial prefrontal cortex decreases effortful prosocial behaviours”
Jo Cutler, Matthew Apps, Daniel Drew, Deva Jeyaretna, Masud Husain, Sanjay Manohar, Patricia Lockwood
Kiyohito Iigaya, Columbia University
“Neural computation underlying aesthetic experience”
Kiyohito Iigaya, Sanghyun Yi, Iman Wahle, Koranis Tanwisuth, John O’Doherty
2021 –
Gold: Rafael Polania, University of Zurich
“Neural codes in early sensory areas maximize fitness”
Jonathan Schaffner, Philippe Tobler, Todd Hare
Silver: Haoxue Fan, Harvard University
“Trait somatic anxiety is associated with reduced exploration and underestimation of relative uncertainty”
Samuel Gershman, Elizabeth Phelps
Bronze: Valentin Wyart, Ecole Normale Superieure
“Imprecise learning drives variable but adaptive decisions under uncertainty in humans and artificial neural networks”
2020: Zhihao Zhang, University of California, Berkeley
“Retrieval-Constrained Valuation: Toward Prediction of Open-Ended Decisions”
Shichun Wang, Maxwell Good, Siyana Hristova, Andrew Kayser, Ming Hsu
2019: Brian Sweis, University of Minnesota
“Translational neuroeconomics in addiction: Species-specific similarities and differences in dysfunction between wanting vs liking among humans and mice.”
Jazmin Camchong, Samantha Abram, Sheila Specker, Kelvin Lim, Angus MacDonald, Mark Thomas, David Redish
2018: Sudeep Bhatia, University of Pennsylvania
“The space of decision models”
Lisheng He, Wenjia Joyce Zhao
2017: Wouter Kool, Harvard University
“Neural and behavioral signatures of metacontrol in reinforcement learning”
Wouter Kool, Samuel Gershman, Fiery Cushman
2016: Daniel Kimmel, Columbia University
“Encoding of value and choice as separable, dynamic neural dimensions in orbitofrontal cortex”
Daniel Kimmel, Gamaleldin Elsayed, John Cunningham, William Newsome
2015: Tobias Kalenscher, Universität Düsseldorf, Germany
“Basolateral amygdala lesions abolish mutual reward preference in rats“
Tobias Kalenscher, Marijn van Wingerden, Sandra Schäble, Julen Hernandez-Lallement
2014: Molly Crockett, University of Oxford, England
“How Serotonin and Dopamine Shape Moral Decision Making”
Crockett MJ, Siegel , Kurth- Nelson Z, Ousdal OT, Story GW, Dayan P, Dolan RJ
2013: Ritwik K Niyogi, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL
“Some work and some play: a normative, microscopic approach to allocating time between work and leisure”
Ritwik K. Niyogi, Yannick-Andre Breton, Rebecca B. Solomon, Kent Conover, Peter Shizgal, Peter Dayan
Joe Kable, University of Pennsylvania
“From valuation to action: choice prediction in vmPFC and beyond”
2012: Tali Sharot, UCL
“Why Humans Discount Bad News: Findings from development, pharmacology and TMS”
Best Poster Award Winners
Best Poster Presenters
2023 –
Aniek Fransen, California Institute of Technology
“Neural representations of attribute-based valuation across contexts.”
Aniek Fransen, Kiyohito Iigaya, John O’Doherty
2022 –
Laura Globig, University College London
“Changing the Incentive Structure of Social Media Platforms to Halt the Spread of Misinformation”
Laura Globig, Nora Holtz, Tali Sharot
2021 –
Gold: Micah Edelson, University of Zurich
“Goal-dependent recalibration of hippocampal representations facilitates self-control”
Micah Edelson, Todd Hare
Silver: Nitisha Desai, Ohio State University
“Investigating the link between neural reward reactivity and attention”
Nitisha Desai, Allison Londerée, Eunbin Kim, Dylan Wagner, Ian Krajbich, Kentaro Fujita
Bronze: Marie Falkenstein, Sorbonne University
“Does COVID-related stress affect self-control and the ability to make healthy food choices”
Marie Falkenstein, Felix Nitsch, Leonie Koban, Aiqing Ling, Tobias Kalenscher, Hilke Plassmann
2020 Alexandre Filipowicz, University of Pennsylvania
“Using mobile eye-tracking to capture the effects of choice set size on information processing during purchase decisions in the field”
Alexandre Filipowicz, Laura Zaneski; M. Kathleen Caulfield; Quentin Andre; Eric Singler; Hilke Plassmann; Joseph Kable
2019: Jaime Castrellon, Duke University
“Individual differences in dopamine predict self-control of everyday desires”
Jaime Castrellon, David Zald, Gregory Samanez Larkin
2018: Jaime Castrellon, Duke University
“Parsing the role of dopamine in reward discounting and subjective valuation”
Jaime Castrellon, Gregory Samanez-Larkin
2017: Jan Zimmermann, New York University
“Adapting choice behavior and neural value coding in monkey orbitofrontal cortex”
Jan Zimmermann, Paul Glimcher, Kenway Louie
2016: Alireza Soltani, Dartmouth College
“Contributions of neural adaptation to value-based and perceptual choice”
Oihane Horno, Mehran Spitmaan, Alireza Soltani
2015: Alaa Ahmed, University of Colorado Boulder
“Effort, reward, and vigor in decision-making and motor control”
Authors: Reza Shadmehr, Helen Huang, Alaa Ahmed
2014: Cendri Hutcherson, California Institute of Technology
“Ethics or empathy? Different appraisals activate distinct social cognitive brain regions during altruistic choice”
Authors: Cendri Hutcherson & Antonio Rangel
2013: Raphaëlle Abitbol, Pantheon-Sorbonne University
“Pre-stimulus brain activity predicts subjective valuation in monkeys and humans? “
Authors: R. Abitbol, M. Lebreton, G. Hollard, B. J. Richmond, S. Bouret, M. Pessiglione
2012: Ian Krajbich, The Ohio State University
“Thinking fast and slow ? The reverse-inference problem with reaction times?”
Authors: I. Krajbich, B. Bartling, T. Hare, E. Fehr
2011: Hilke Plassmann, INSEAD and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit INSERM & Ecole Normale Superieure & University of Toronto
“Is there a common “cost” currency system? Neural correlates of abstract and somatosensory costs during value integration”
Authors: Hilke Plassmann & Nina Mazar
2010: Jeffrey Cockburn, Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
“Why (and how much) do we value the freedom to choose? Decision enhances spatial credit assignment in reinforcement learning “
Authors: Jeffrey Cockburn and Michael J. Frank
Travel Awards
Award Information
The number of awards and amount of support will be determined by the funding secured.
Application Eligibility
To be considered, applicants
- Must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, or be engaged in postdoctoral studies,
- Be a student or post doc member of SNE in good standing,
- Submit an abstract in the first call for abstract round. Late submission abstracts will not be considered.
How to Submit
Applications are accepted via the abstract submission process. As you submit an abstract, you will be asked if you want to be considered for a Travel Award. If so, you will be required to upload a one-page PDF document explaining how attending the meeting will be valuable to your professional development and listing the other sources of conference support available to you.
All applications must be received by May 10, 2024 at 11:59pm PST.