The ASM NSW-ACT Branch offers several awards to recognise outstanding achievement, especially at the student and early-career level. Note that the ASM National Office also offers many awards in microbiology, and we suggest that you also check their website for details of these.
Summer Studentship award OPEN NOW – Applications due 4th December 2026.
Early Career Awards
Postdoctoral, Early Career Microbiologist, and Early Career Microbiology Educator awards require the applicant to have been a member of the society for at least 12 months prior to making an application for the award. Details of these awards can be found at the links below. All applications should be made to the Branch Awards Coordinator Thiru Vanniasinkam.
The Dena Lyras ECR is named after the outstanding contributions of Prof. Dena Lyas to both microbiology research and mentoring of early career researchers. The award supports an ECR to attend the ASM national meeting.
Student Awards
The Undergraduate Microbiology award comes with a one-year ASM membership as part of the prize.
The ASM NSW-ACT Branch provides Summer Student Research Scholarships to eligible students to complete short term research projects in an eligible sponsor’s laboratory during the Summer vacation period. The scholarships are worth $1,500 each and include free ASM student membership for one year. The closing date for applications is 5 December 2025.
The Nancy Millis Student Award provides the opportunity for one student member from each ASM State Branch to attend and give an oral presentation at the ASM Annual Scientific Meeting. This year the award will be combined with the Sydney Micro event. Please submit an abstract by 30 Jan 2026.
Previous Winners
Dena Lyras Early Career Microbiologist Award
2026
Grace O’Reilly, USYD
2025
Hannah Brown, UTS
Binod Rayamajhee, UNSW
2024
Kenya Fernandes, USYD
2023
Heema Vyas, USYD
Lachlan Dow, CSIRO
2020
Laurence Luu, UNSW
2017
Nural Cokcetin, UTS
2012
Christopher Harmer, USYD
2011
Sophie Octavia, UNSW
Early Career Microbiology Educator Award
2026
Angela Sun, USYD
BacPath Travel Award
2026
Leah Dinh, USYD
Gebreselassie Mihiretie, UNSW
Undergraduate Microbiology Award
2023
Shane Elphick, CSU
Jenna Ireland, Emil Gabrielsson, and Kieran Lindsay, UTS
Prizes also awarded at UNE, MQ, WSU
2022
Prizes awarded at CSU, UNE, MQ, WSU
2021
Thi Than Tung Pham, CSU
Prizes also awarded at UNE, MQ, WSU
2020
Ashly Cox-Carroll, CSU
Nadia Katherine Saegenschnitter, UNE
Valeria Zak, WSU
Brodie Gillieatt, USYD
2017
Leigh Morrell, UNSW
Owen Watson, MQ
Stephanie Dunning, UNE
Hannah Roth, CSU
Sam El-Kamand, WSU
2015
Andrew Gia, USYD
Karen Winray, CSU
Toni Petronaitis, UNE
Summer Student Research Scholarship
2025
Isabelle Wann, UON
2024
Yi Ning Fu, ANU
2023
Sarah Anne McClelland Smith, USYD
2022
Callum Kay, ANU
Daniel Neville, UNSW
Tsung-Yu Pai, UTS
Lucy O’Shannessy, USYD
Nancy Millis Student Award / NSW-ACT Branch Student Travel Award
2026
Alannah Eisenhuth, USYD
Jasmine Williams, MQ (runner-up)
2024
Liam Tobin, UTS
Roisin Sullivan, USYD
2023
Catherine Dawson, UON
Brodie Gillieatt, USYD
2022
Joanna Rothwell, USYD
Shouya Feng, ANU
2021
Elizabeth Peterson, UTS
Winton Wu, UNSW
2019
Anukriti Mathur, ANU
Pappu Mandel
2018
Kenya Fernandes, USYD
Alison Luk, USYD
2017
Riti Mann, UTS
Laurence Luu, UNSW
2016
Caitlin Abbottt, USYD
Shirin Ansari
2015
Amelia Hynen, UTS
Benjamin Raymond, UTS
2014
Robert Moran, USYD
Chris McKenzie, USYD
2013
Laura Nolan, UTS
Rita Rapa, UTS