Donations to this fund will be used wherever the need is greatest, as directed by the Board.

Pioneer Members of ASPB have provided the education and research training for many members of our community, and in some cases the leadership of the Society and its journals. Their recognition as Pioneers comes from former graduate students, postdocs, colleagues, family members, and friends who collectively contribute $5,000 or more to honor them. Names of the contributors are listed beneath each Pioneer’s name, as well as links to available biographical information about the Pioneer and their contributions to plant biology. To add your gift in honor of an existing Pioneer of ASPB, please fill out this donor commitment form.

ASPB launched the Legacy Society in 2016, with each Founding Member contributing $5,000 to ASPB. Going forward, whether your gifts are restricted or unrestricted, any donor to ASPB who reaches a lifetime total of $5,000 will automatically become a member of the Legacy Society. A great way to support the Centennial Challenge is to bring your lifetime donations up to this level.

Donations to this fund are channeled in support of all of ASPB's Education and Outreach efforts.

This recognition, which ASPB will beginning offer after the fund that supports it realizes sufficient returns, will honor an ASPB member with a strong record of increasing diversity and inclusiveness in plant biology. Each awardee will be invited to give a plenary lecture and the following annual meeting.

The Robert Rabson Award, first given by the Society in 2012, recognizes Bob Rabson’s steadfast advocacy of plant biology through funding programs in the Department of Energy for research in basic energy sciences. The award recognizes postdoctoral scholars and faculty-level early career scientists in academic, government and corporate research institutions who have made excellent contributions in the area of bioenergy research. The award is currently offered in even-numbered years; increasing the size of the fund that supports it would allow ASPB to offer the award annually.

Approved for fundraising by the ASPB Board of Directors in 2017, this fund seeks to establish an endowment, named for Joe Varner, for the specific purpose of providing funds for early career scientists to attend the ASPB Plant Biology meetings. The intent is to supplement the travel awards that ASPB already offers to early career scientists.

The fund establishing a biennial award to honor Winslow Briggs and his outstanding contributions, leadership, and mentorship in plant biology was established in 2020, and the first award will be made once earnings on the initial endowment have reached a sufficient level. Further increasing the size of the existing fund would allow ASPB to offer this award annually in the future.

The Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award, first given by the Society in 2011, honors Eric E. Conn’s contributions in plant biology by recognizing young scientists who will be inspired to follow in his footsteps. The award recognizes not only outstanding research but also demonstrated excellence in outreach, public service, mentoring, or teaching by plant scientists at the beginning of their careers. The award is currently offered in odd-numbered years; increasing the size of the fund that supports it would allow ASPB to offer the award annually.

The Bogorad Award was approved by the Society’s executive committee in 2005 to honor Dr. Bogorad’s many contributions to plant biology, including his influential efforts to bring the techniques of molecular biology to bear on problems in plant biology and his inspired teaching and mentoring. The award recognizes a plant scientist whose work both illuminates the present and suggests paths to enlighten the future. The award is currently offered in even-numbered years; increasing the size of the fund that supports it would allow ASPB to offer the award annually.

The innovation prize was inaugurated in 2015 to recognize the outstanding work of industry scientists in companies of all sizes who translate discovery research into real-world outcomes that benefit agriculture. The award additionally acts as a vehicle to increase the awareness of the highest quality science performed by industry scientists, and it showcases the opportunities and rewards of this career path. The award is currently offered in odd-numbered years; increasing the size of the fund that supports it would allow ASPB to offer the award annually.