David Starr Jordan Prize for Innovative Contributions to the Study of Evolution, Ecology, Population or Organismal Biology

In 1986, Cornell University, Indiana University, and Stanford University established a joint endowment to fund a prize in honor of David Starr Jordan, a scientist, educator and institution builder of enormous influence on higher education in the United States who had important ties to each of these universities. The prize is international in scope and presented approximately every three years to a young scientist (40 years of age or less) who is making novel innovative contributions in one or more areas of Jordan’s interest: evolution, ecology, population and organismal biology.

The intent of this prize is to recognize young scientists who are making research contributions likely to redirect the principal foci of their fields. In addition to a cash award, the recipient will receive a commemorative medal, will attend an awards ceremony, visit each of the sponsoring institutions and give scholarly presentations of his/her work. The selection of the prize winner will be made by a committee composed of representatives from each of the three institutions.