Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

Misha Tsodyks, PhD (right), of the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton was awarded the Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience in 2023.

The Swartz Prize, endowed by the Swartz Foundation, honors an individual whose activities have produced a significant cumulative contribution to theoretical models or computational methods in neuroscience or who has made a particularly noteworthy recent advance in theoretical or computational neuroscience.

Nominations are especially encouraged of scientists whose work represents recent impactful advances to the field. 

Recipients receive a $30,000 prize and complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting. The SfN president presents the prize at a lecture at the SfN annual meeting.

For more information, please review the Awards and Prizes FAQs.

Nomination Criteria & Materials

Nomination Criteria:

• Nominations must be made or endorsed by an SfN member.
• Nominees do not need to be SfN members.
• Self-nomination is not permitted.
• No person may nominate more than one candidate.
• Current SfN officers and councilors are ineligible for nomination.
• Due to the potential conflicts of interest, members of the selection committee may not be the nominees and they cannot serve as nominators nor write letters of recommendation.

Nomination materials include the following:

• One nomination letter describing the nominee's contributions to the field and maximum of two optional letters of recommendation
• Current CV
• A list of publications and abstracts authored or co-authored by the nominee

Eligibility

The prize is open to all individuals who have contributed to theoretical or computational neuroscience.

Past Awardees

• 2024: Eero Simoncelli, PhD
• 2023: Misha Tsodyks, PhD
• 2022: Ila Fiete, PhD
• 2021: Nicolas Brunel, PhD
• 2020: Emery N. Brown, MD, PhD
• 2019: John Rinzel, PhD
• 2018: Kenneth Miller, PhD
• 2017: Xiao-Jing Wang, PhD
• 2016: Nancy Kopell, PhD
• 2015: Terrence J. Sejnowski, PhD
• 2014: Tomaso A. Poggio, PhD
• 2013: William S. Bialek, PhD
• 2012: John J. Hopfield, PhD
• 2011: Haim Sompolinsky, PhD
• 2010: Larry Abbott, PhD
• 2009: Horace Barlow, MD
• 2008: Wilfrid Rall, PhD