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 active members of the Society for NeuroEconomics who have completed their PhD and are up to and including 7 years into their faculty position or 10 years after the completion of their PhD as of the time they are considered. Less senior researchers, including postdocs, are therefore also eligible.

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 into faculty position and/or years since PhD completion

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the President of the Society 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?

If shortlisted, applicants will then also be asked to provide two letters of recommendation. Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by a member of the Society.

Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2023 at 11:59pm Central Daylight Time.

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

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, 2023.

The Award consists of a complimentary One-year Membership to the Society for Neuroeconomics (2024). You may also nominate up to two (2) other colleagues to receive a complimentary membership should you wish.

Eligibility


To be considered, applicants must be members of the Society for NeuroEconomics and must have successfully defended their dissertation in the year preceding the deadline (June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023).

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

The review committee will consider both methodological and substantive contribution of the dissertation. The selection of dissertation will be based on its originality, creativity of the work and significance of research in the field of neuroeconomics. 

The review committee will consist of six members who are current members of the Society for NeuroEconomics. There will be two members from economics, two members from psychology, and two members from neuroscience. Members whose students applied cannot judge and vote on their theses.

The review committee will shortlist and select candidates based on the 1-page summary.

Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2023 at 11:59pm Central Daylight Time.

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 (2024). 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.

Application Process

Each submission must provide the following:

  • Link to the paper
  • 500-word statement explaining why the paper deserves the award

Selection Process

  • A committee consisting of six members who are current members of the Society for Neuroeconomics will evaluate the submitted manuscripts. There will be two members from economics, two members from psychology, and two members from neuroscience.
  • 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 
  • Committee members cannot judge and vote on their own or their students’ papers. 

Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2023 at 11:59pm Central Daylight Time.

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

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

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.