The NASBR Spallanzani Award

The Spallanzani Award may be awarded annually, as funds permit, to assist persons from outside North America (Mexico, Canada, and the United States) to attend the North American Symposium on Bat Research. In a single year, no more than one awardee may be appointed from any one of the following regions: Africa, Asia, Caribbean Islands (US affiliated islands eligible), Meso-America, South America, Oceania (including US affiliated islands), and Eastern Europe.

Lazzaro Spallanzani (10 January 1729 - 12 February 1799) was an Italian biologist and physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental study of bodily functions, animal reproduction, and essentially discovered echolocation. Spallanzani is famous for extensive experiments on bat navigation in complete darkness. He concluded that bats use sound and their ears for navigation in total darkness, though his study was limited to what he could observe. Spallanzani went through the senses one by one, trying to discover which one governed bats habits. Through the process of elimination, he found that plugging up the bats' ears rendered them directionless. Spallanzani's theory of echolocation wasn't explained until 1941, when Donald R. Griffin first described bat's sensitivity to sound waves.

Nominations

One or more Spallanzani Fellowships may be awarded annually as funds permit to assist persons from developing countries to attend NASBR or a joint meeting of NASBR and the International Bat Research Conference (IBCR). In a single year, the Spallanzani Committee will aim to appoint only one Fellow from any one of the following regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (including US affiliated islands), Oceania, and Europe. The intent of this award is to recognize and assist individuals from countries where economic support for bat research is limited, and as such nominees should generally not come from Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, nor the NASBR member countries USA, Canada and Mexico.

Spallanzani Fellowships may be awarded:

1) As "Senior Fellows" for recognition of a career of distinction in research, education or conservation biology of bats that has contributed to the development of these activities in their country

2) As "Fellows", to persons of any age or career stage that show meritorious recent accomplishments that promote bat research, education, and/or conservation programs in their country.

Nominations may be submitted to the chair of the Selection Committee by any NASBR member normally before the 31st of March in the year the award is to be conferred, although the deadline may be earlier during years when NASBR meets jointly with the IBRC. The nomination package should include a detailed curriculum vitae, and a detailed letter of support providing specific information about the contributions of the nominee to bat research, education and/or conservation in the home country. The letter of support should also comment on the potential for the nominee to deliver a high quality presentation, in English, on the nominee's research and conservation work. Download the Nomination Guidelines.

Deadline for IBRC/NASBR 2013 is 10 March 2013