The IUSSI presents awards at the International Congresses, which occur every four years.
The Hamilton Award
The IUSSI's highest honour, the Hamilton Award is a quadriennial award given by the IUSSI to a senior scientist in recognition of his/her accomplishments in the area of social insect research and the mentoring of young scientists.
Eligibility
The award is given to a distinguished senior scientist for outstanding achievements in the area of social insect biology.
Committee
The selection is made by an Award Selection Committee composed of the presidents of the sections or their designees and the Secretary General of the IUSSI.
The Hamilton Award is named in honour of W. D. Hamilton, one of the most influential evolutionary biologists and social insect biologists of the 20th Century.
Recipients of the Hamilton Award
Joan Strassmann
2026
Presented at the XX International Congress, in Freiburg in August 2026.
The award consisted of an engraved ornament, and a monetary award of US$ 1000, which Joan donated to the IUSSI.
Joan delivered an award lecture describing her pioneering work on social wasps and how the social evolution theory developed in the social insects informed her transition to working on the social behaviour of microbes, especially Dictyostelium slime moulds.
Berthold K Hölldobler
2022
Presented at the XIX International Congress, in San Diego in July 2022.
The award consisted of an engraved ornament, and a monetary award of US$ 1000, which Bert donated to the North American section of the IUSSI, to be used for four $250 travel grants for your researchers.
The award was collected by Jürgen Gadau on behalf of Bert, who could not attend the meeting, and Christina Kwapich read out an acceptance address written by Bert.
Jacobus (Koos) Boomsma
2018
Presented at the XVIII International Congress, in Guarujá in August 2018.
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The award consisted of an engraved ornament, and a monetary award of US$ 1000, which Koos donated to a new project to digitize the archives of the IUSSI.
Mary Jane West-Eberhard
2014
Presented at the XVII International Congress, in Cairns in July 2014.
The award consisted of an engraved glass ornament in the shape of a book, and a monetary award of US$ 1000, which Mary Jane donated to the IUSSI.
Charles D. Michener
2010
Presented at the XVI International Congress, in Copenhagen in August 2010.
The award consisted of an engraved glass ornament in the shape of a book, and a monetary award of US$ 1000, which Mitch donated to the Kansas Entomologial Society.
Ross Crozier
2006
The first Hamilton Award was presented to Ross Crozier at the XV International Congress of the IUSSI in Washington DC, August 2006.
The award consisted of a plaque and a monetary award of US$ 1000
West-Eberhard Award
“Given the fresh and disruptive nature of her work, her insightful use of a variety of data to challenge long held paradigms in the study of social insects, we believe Dr Jaimes Niño is an outstanding young social insect researcher.”
2026 West-Eberhard award committee
Named after Mary Jane West-Eberhard, the West-Eberhard Award is a quadrennial award for a junior scientist.
Eligibility
The award will be given to a promising junior scientist for outstanding achievements in the area of social insect biology.
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Committee
The selection will be made by an Award Selection Committee composed of the presidents of the sections or their designees and the Secretary General of the IUSSI.
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Members of IUSSI sections in good standing should nominate promising junior scientists from any section to represent those sections. Junior members of IUSSI sections in good standing can also self-nominate to their section. If necessary, each section will rank candidates and put forward the highest-ranked candidate.
The award, named after Marie-Jane West-Eberhard, was established in 2018 and was awarded for the first time in 2022.​
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Recipients
2026 - Luisa Jaimes Niño
2022 - Patrick Kennedy
The West-Eberhard Award is named in honour of Mary Jane West-Eberhard, one of the leading wasp biologists and evolutionary biologists, and 2014 recipient of the Hamilton Award.