Spallanzani Award

The Spallanzani Award assists distinguished bat researchers from outside North America to attend the North American Symposium on Bat Research. Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729 -1799) was an Italian biologist and physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental study of anatomy and physiology, animal reproduction, and was instrumental in discovering the mechanism of animal echolocation. Spallanzani is famous for extensive experiments on bat navigation in complete darkness. He concluded that bats use sound and their ears for navigation.  Spallanzani investigated each individual sense, trying to discover which governed bat navigation. Through the process of elimination, he found that plugging a bat's ears rendered it directionless. Spallanzani's hypothesis of echolocation ability of bats wasn't fully explained for well over a century when in 1941, when Donald R. Griffin first described bat's sensitivity to sound waves. 

To nominate someone, contact the Spallanzani Award Chair.

Spallanzani Award Guidelines

Nominations should be submitted to the Selection Committee by any NASBR member (defined in bylaws of NASBR). 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. A Fellow may receive this award one time only.

An award will be conferred only if the nominee agrees to attend the joint meeting of NASBR and IBRC, with the amount of financial support that NASBR is able to offer. Exceptions may be granted for reasons of age, illness, or visa difficulty.

Spallanzani Fellows will present an oral paper (strongly preferred) or possibly a poster at the IBRC meeting. The presentation could report on, either an overview of a research and conservation program in the home country, or provide results of a specific research or conservation project or projects.

To the extent funds permit, air tickets to the meeting location, meeting registration fees, banquet ticket, and hotel, will be purchased directly by the NASBR Treasurer or a NASBR facilitating member approved by the Treasurer on behalf of a fellow. If e-tickets are not available in the country of origin, the Fellow may be instructed to purchase an air ticket and be reimbursed (in whole or in part as funding permits) upon providing receipts to the Treasurer of NASBR.