Awards & Grants
MANA is proud to offer awards and grants to MANA members. Sign up as a member so you don’t miss out!
The Awards Committee shall aim to offer awards to a broad range of applicants. Candidates may compete for multiple awards. Awards are based on fulfilling eligibility criteria. See specific award details. MANA will seek a balance of support across research groups, institutions, and awardee demographic diversity. The Awards Committee holds the right to decline the offer of an award if the applicant pool does not meet expectations and eligibility requirements.
Application-based awards
Apply for these awards using the links provided in the drop-down sections for each award.
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Award amount: up to $500 reimbursement per awardee
Number of awards: 2
Deadline: August 1, 2026
Application: Please use the link here
Description: MANA ECM is committed to promoting equitable access to MANA 2026 for MANA members with child and/or adult dependent care responsibilities. To facilitate this goal, MANA ECM is offering a Dependent Care Grant to defray the cost of dependent care services for eligible applicants attending MANA 2026. This grant is intended to support the MANA 2026 conference in Davis, CA, September 8-11, 2026, and attendance is required. Each grant includes $500 and a certificate; only a limited number of grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The ECM committee sponsors this award.
Eligibility:
Must be a MANA member (all members are welcome to apply)
Attendance is required to the Attendance is required at the MANA 2026 conference in Davis, CA, September 8-11, 2026
Who qualifies as a dependent?
A dependent is defined as 1) a minor 12 years of age or younger who resides with the applicant and for whom the applicant provides primary support, or 2) a person regardless of age who spends at least eight hours per day in the applicant’s home and for whom the applicant has care responsibilities.
Eligible expenses that can be covered up to a maximum of $500:
Airfare for a caregiver (e.g., family member, au pair, nanny, sitter) to fly to the conference location to assist with dependent care.
Airfare for dependent traveling to the conference. Note: dependent does not need to attend the conference in order to receive the grant.
Costs for dependent care at the conference (e.g., onsite babysitting, daycare or elder care service local to the conference venue)
Costs for additional dependent care at home incurred due to member’s absence during the conference (e.g., caregiver’s labor, before and after school or extended day programs, late pick-up fees, daycare centers, custodial child care / elder care, or expenses for care of elderly or other family members that the applicant usually provides)
The cost of shipping breastmilk for a child at home while the member travels for the conference.
Other reasonable expenses will be considered. Please reach out directly if you have an expense that does not fit into these categories but you would like to be considered. Email us at awards@metabolomicsna.org
Application process:
MANA members are limited to one (1) dependent care grant per family per conference
To apply, complete and submit the online application form before the deadline: August 1, 2026
Reimbursement Requests:
The grant funds will be awarded after the conference is completed.
While receipts are not required upon submission of the application, they must be submitted to the MANA Treasurer within one month of the end of the conference. If you have proof of cost beforehand please submit them with the application. All expenses must be justified with proof of cost (receipts, attestment document, etc.).
Open to all MANA Members:
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Award amount: $1,000
Number of awards: 1
Deadline: Closed
Application: Closed
Description: The MANA Early Career Rising Star Award is a competitive award for the most accomplished Early Career Members. We encourage members whose work has exhibited exceptional novelty, pushed the boundaries of metabolomics, or whose early career efforts have resulted in sustained, substantial, and noteworthy contributions to the field to apply for the MANA Early Career Rising Star Award. The winner will be selected to give an oral presentation at the conference.
Eligibility criteria: The applicant must:
Be an Early Career Member (within 10 years of highest earned degree)
Conduct metabolomics research in North America
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Present oral presentation at the MANA 2026 conference
Eligible to receive this award one time
Evaluation approach: To be considered by the MANA Award Committee, please submit a single compiled PDF, titled ‘applicant name and award title’ using the application link above:
Provide a copy of your conference abstract
Your current CV (5 page max, award-relevant content)
A brief description of your accomplishments and the impact of your work (250-word maximum)
Letter of recommendation
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Award amount: $1,000
Number of awards: 1
Deadline: June 19, 2026, 11:59 PM PDT
Application: Please use the link here
Description: The Mark P. Styczynski Award in Computational Metabolomics is a competitive award for an Early Career Member who has demonstrated significant accomplishment in computational metabolomics. We encourage members whose work has exhibited exceptional novelty and innovation in computational metabolomics, or whose early career efforts have resulted in sustained, substantial, and noteworthy contributions to the field, to apply for the Mark P. Styczynski Award. The winner will be selected to give a talk at the conference.
Eligibility criteria: The applicant must:
Be within ten years of a terminal degree
Conduct metabolomics research in North America
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Present at the MANA 2026 conference
Eligible to receive this award one time
Evaluation approach: To be considered by the MANA Award Committee, please submit a single compiled PDF, titled applicant name and award titleusing the application link above:
Provide a copy of your conference abstract
Your current CV (5 page max, award-relevant content)
A brief description of your accomplishments and the impact of your work (250-word maximum)
Letter of recommendation
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Award amount: up to $1,300
Number of awards: 3 postdocs, 3 grad students, 3 core facility personnel
Deadline: Please submit by poster deadline, Jun 19, 2026
Application: Please use the link here
Description: The MANA Early Career Travel Award recognizes early-career members whose current metabolomics research displays a high level of distinction. The ECM Travel Award is a competitive award based on research excellence, abstract quality, and a personal statement. The awards will be selected through a rigorous review process by the Awards Committee. This award is sponsored by the ECM committee.
Eligibility criteria:
MANA member within ten years of a terminal degree
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Be the presenting author on a submitted abstract
Research must be completed at an institution in North America
Allowed one travel award per year. Cannot receive an award at two consecutive society conferences in a row (e.g., MANA 2024 and MANA 2025)
Evaluation approach: To be considered by the MANA Award Committee, please submit:
Application Form: Coming Soon!
Provide a copy of the submitted abstract
Your current CV (5 page max, award-relevant content)
Please provide a brief (300 words or less) description of your academic achievements, future career perspectives, and financial need to attend MANA 2026.
Early Career Awards:
Presentation-based awards
Apply for these awards with the abstract submission portal. The portal will include a check box for applicants to select each presentation-based award.
Early Career Awards:
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Conference registration and abstract submission are required for award consideration.
Award amount: $200
Number of awards: 2
Deadline: Please submit by poster deadline, June 19, 2026
Description: The Lightning Talk Award is a competitive award for Early Career Members who succinctly and effectively describe the essence and impact of their scientific research within a short talk. Talks are a total of 5 minutes (4-minute talk with 1 min Q&A). Presenters are determined by abstract quality, judged by the conference scientific organizing committee.
Eligibility criteria: The applicant must:
Be an Early Career Member (within 10 years of highest earned degree)
Conduct metabolomics research in North America
Submit an abstract for oral or poster presentation
Those receiving an oral presentation will not be eligible for a Lightning Talk
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Present a Lightning Talk at the MANA 2026 conference
Those receiving this award will not be eligible for a poster award
Cannot receive an award in two consecutive years
Evaluation approach:
Abstract review by the MANA SOC committee
Rigorous presentation review by MANA conference judges
Winners will be announced during the conference closing remarks
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Conference registration and abstract submission are required for award consideration.
Award amount: $100
Number of awards: 3 postdocs
Deadline: Please submit by poster deadline, June 19, 2026
Description: The Best Poster Award is a competitive award for an Early Career Member who clearly and enthusiastically describes the scientific merit of their research. Awards are based on effective visual and oral presentation, quality of research, and depth of understanding.
Eligibility criteria: The applicant must:
Be an Early Career Member (within 10 years of highest earned degree)
Conduct metabolomics research in North America
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Present a Poster at the MANA 2026 conference
Cannot receive an award in two consecutive years
Those receiving a Metabolomics Service Cores Best Presentation Awards- Poster will not be eligible for this award
Evaluation approach:
Rigorous review by MANA conference judges
Winners will be announced during the conference closing remarks
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Conference registration and abstract submission are required for award consideration.
Award amount: $100
Number of awards: 3 graduate students
Deadline: Please submit by poster deadline, June 19, 2026
Description: The Best Poster Award is a competitive award for an Early Career Member who clearly and enthusiastically describes the scientific merit of their research. Awards are based on effective visual and oral presentation, quality of research, and depth of understanding.
Eligibility criteria: The applicant must:
Be an Early Career Member (within 10 years of highest earned degree)
Conduct metabolomics research in North America
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Present a Poster at the MANA 2026 conference
Evaluation approach:
Rigorous review by MANA conference judges
Winners will be announced during the conference closing remarks
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Conference registration and abstract submission are required for award consideration.
Award amount: $100
Number of awards: 1 undergraduate student
Deadline: Please submit by poster deadline, June 19, 2026
Description: The Best Poster Award is a competitive award for an Early Career Member who clearly and enthusiastically describes the scientific merit of their research. Awards are based on effective visual and oral presentation, quality of research, and depth of understanding.
Eligibility criteria: The applicant must:
Be an Early Career Member (within 10 years of highest earned degree)
Conduct metabolomics research in North America
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Present a Poster at the MANA 2026 conference
Evaluation approach:
Rigorous review by MANA conference judges
Winners will be announced during the conference closing remarks
Metabolomics Core Facility Awards:
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Conference registration and abstract submission are required for award consideration.
Award amount: $500
Number of awards: 2 (1 poster, 1 oral)
Deadline: Please submit by poster deadline, June 19, 2026
Description: This award is available to MANA members who hold a position in a service core and will present (poster or oral) at MANA 2026 under one of the scientific themes of the conference.
Eligibility criteria for nomination: The applicant must
Hold a current position in a metabolomics service core facility in North America
Hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree
Conduct metabolomics research in North America
Attend the MANA 2026 conference
Present at the MANA 2026 conference.
Those receiving a Metabolomics Service Cores Best Presentation Awards- Poster will not be eligible for other conference poster awards
Cannot receive an award in two consecutive years
Evaluation approach: To be considered for this award, please:
Specify your intention to compete for this award during conference registration.
The winner will be announced during the conference awards ceremony.
Nomination-based awards
Apply for these awards using the links provided in the drop-down sections for each award.
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Award amount: up to $1,000
Number of awards: 1
Nomination Deadline: June 19, 2026, 11:59 PM PDT. View the eligibility criteria and submit your nomination here.
Description: The WomiX Mentorship Award recognizes outstanding women in metabolomics who have demonstrated exceptional mentorship, leadership, and lasting impact within the community. This award celebrates mentors who have supported and inspired students, trainees, early-career researchers, and colleagues through meaningful guidance, advocacy, and community building. The recipient of this award will receive a cash award and a commemorative plaque to recognize the awardee’s achievements as an inspiring mentor to the metabolomics community. They will also be invited to give an award lecture.
For 2026, we recently updated the application process to create a more structured and holistic review of mentorship contributions. The revised process now includes three separate forms designed to capture perspectives from nominators, mentees, and the nominee.
Application Forms:
Nomination Form
Completed by the nominator(s) to submit and support a nomination. View the eligibility criteria and submit your nomination here.Mentee Testimonial Form
Completed by mentees or trainees to share testimonials about the nominee’s mentorship impact and support. The form will be sent to the mentee by the WomiX committee.Mentor/Nominee Response Form
Completed by the nominee to describe their mentorship philosophy, leadership, mentoring experience, and broader contributions to the metabolomics community. The form will be sent to the mentor/nominee by the WomiX committee.
For questions, please contact womix@metabolomicsna.org
Previous MANA Awardees
The MANA awards and grants have been celebrated as far back as 2018, when the first group of recipients was recognized at the MetSoc 2018 in Seattle, WA. View the history of MANA’s award winners here
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2025 - Leila Rezaei, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow at the Developmental Psychobiology Lab at the University of Calgary
Award given for her outstanding contributions to the field of metabolomics, specifically in bioprocess optimization in a variety of health applications, through the development of metabolic modeling pipelines and tools, and innovative research in gut microbiome-neurodevelopment and mental health
2024 - Ipsita Mohanty, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences atUniversity of California, San Diego
Award given for her outstanding contributions to the field of LC-MS metabolomics, specifically in novel metabolite discovery using large repository-scale mining strategies that will provide deeper insights into the biology of these unknowns.
2023 - Oana Zeleznik, Ph.D., Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Award given for her outstanding contributions to the field of LC-MS & NMR-based metabolomics, specifically in bridging data science with molecular epidemiology to advance our understanding of chronic diseases, including ovarian carcinogenesis.
2022 - Tao Huan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia.
Award given for his work in the development of analytical and bioinformatics tools for improving data acquisition and analysis of LC-MS-based metabolomics
2021 - Robert Quinn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University
Award given for his work in given for impact and work in microbiome understanding, specifically in the identification of new bile acid conjugates, Cystic Fibrosis, and coral reef management.
2020 - Sophia Lunt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University
Award given for her work in understanding the role of metabolism in supporting cancer proliferation, heterogeneity, and metastasis.
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2025 - Annalise Schweickart, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, The Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Award given for her outstanding work in the development of computational tools to build predictive models that uncover subtle patterns in disease risk, intervention response, and demographic variation.
2024 - Joshua Mitchell, Ph.D., Data Scientist, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine
Award given for his outstanding work in the development of computational tools addressing data standards, reproducibility, and data assembly problems.
2023 - Gayatri Iyer, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan
Award given for her outstanding work in the design, development, and support of new computational approaches that provide an alternative to traditional pathway-centric approaches.
2022 - Sadjad Fakouri-Baygi, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Award given for his outstanding work in the design, development, and support of new algorithms for processing untargeted HRMS data in the metabolomics and exposomics field.
2021 - Aleksandr Smirnov, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Award given for his outstanding work in the design, development, and support of new algorithms, data analysis, and visualization tools for processing untargeted metabolomics data.
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2024 - Blake Rushing, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Award given for work in advancing metabolomics science through leadership in Service Cores, specifically in guiding professional staff in rigorous optimization of analytical methods and maintaining high standards for quality control to produce reliable and reproducible data
2023 - Khyati Pathak, Ph.D., Head of Metabolomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute
Award given for work in advancing metabolomics science through leadership in Service Cores, specifically in pioneering innovative mass spectrometry techniques while actively promoting mentorship and women's leadership initiatives within the field.
2022 - Armando Alcázar Magaña, Ph.D., Metabolomics Project Manager, University of British Columbia
Award given for work in advancing metabolomics science through leadership in Service Cores, specifically in the design and initiation of a new Core, and with continued support of trainees and collaborators.
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MANA 2025 - 7th Annual Conference | September 2-5, 2025 | Banff, Alberta, Canada
Hannah Heath / Pawanjit Kaur Sandhu / Youran Tan / Sathya Amarasena / Courtney Christopher / Helena Mannochio Russo / Maribel Okiye / Mengyuan Ren / Prasanna Vadhana Ashok Kumaar / Mauricio Caraballo
MANA 2024 - 6th Annual Conference | October 21-24, 2024 | Tampa, FL
Xinyi Shen / Pawanjit Kaur Sandhu / Gagandeep Kaur / Melanie Odenkirk / Rohit Kumar / Gabriela Venturini di Silva / Armando Alcazar Magana / Abhishek Jain / Arpana Vaniya
MANA 2023 - 5th Annual Conference | October 2-27, 2023 | Columbia, MI
Erik Andersson / Nicole Bruce / Oluwatobi Fijabi / Jasmine Gill / Stephanie Bishop / Gayatri Iyer / Ipsita Mohanty / Silvia Radenkovic / Simone Zuffa / Michael Eze
MANA 2022 - 4th Annual Conference | September 16-18, 2022 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Stephanie Bishop / Le Chang / Thomas Velenosi / Armando Alcázar Magaña / Jasmeen Kaur / Janice Ou / Alberto Valdés / Abhishek Jain / Alexandra Crook / Nicole Prince / Wasim Sandhu / Khyati Mehta / Oladimeji Aladelokun / John Bouranis / Hong Yan
MANA 2019 - 1st Annual Conference | November 15-17, 2019 | Atlanta, GA
Chatthuri Mohottige / Gayatri Iyer / Marc McCann / Yunjin Wang / Jiangjiang Zhu / Shama Naz / Casey Chamberlain / Clayton Kranawetter / Rachel Kelly / Dania Malik / Sarah Gisewhite / Mario Uchimiya / Hani Habra / Huan Jin / David Crizer / Kia Adams / Robert Stanley / Oana Zeleznik / Jacob Kempa / Shyamchan Mayengbam
MANA 2019 Summer Symposium | September 04, 2019 | Davis, CA
Presha Rajbhandari / Isin Tuna Sakallioglu / Manoj Khadka / Guddadarangavva Jayaprakasha / Daniel Lin / Hansani Karunarathne / Suh Joonhyuk
Metabolomics 2025 | June 22-26, 2025 | Prague, Czech Republic (1 award, $2000)
Nicole Prince
Metabolomics 2024 | June 16-20, 2024 | Osaka, Japan (1 award, $2000)
Helena Mannochio Russo
Metabolomics 2023 | June 18-22, 2023 | Niagara Falls, Canada (4 awards: 2 postdocs, 2 grad students, $800)
Emily Hill / Sandi Azab / Maribel Okiye / Kieran Tarazona Carrillo
Metabolomics 2018 | June 24-28, 2018 | Seattle, WA
Jun Zhou / Sandi Azab / Mai Yamamoto / Jeremy Winders / Jacquelyn Walejko
8th Lipidomics Forum / 2nd International Lipidomics Society Conference | August 27-30, 2023 | Vienna, Austria (1 award, $2000)
Adriana Zardini Buzatto
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MANA 2025
Postdocs: Hansani Karunarathne / Gonçalo Gouveia / Khyati Mehta
Graduate Students: Xinyi Shen / Soor Vora / Oluwatobi Fijabi
MANA 2024
Postdocs: Yong Jin Lim / Arianna Cirillo / Olakunle Jaiyesimi
Graduate Students: Danielle Maundy / Yan Zhou Chen / Fei Wang
Undergraduate: Zoe Watson
MANA 2023
Postdocs: Erika Palmieri / Stephanie Momeni / Sonam Tamrakar / Kayla Getz / Prasanna Kumaar
Graduate Students:Jessica Deutsch / Pawanjit Kaur Sandhu / Darcy Cochran / Harini Sridharan / Micah Jeppesen
Undergraduate: Lara Stefani
MANA 2022
Postdocs: Jasmeen Kaur / Mehdi Mohammadi Ashani / Erika Palmieri / Nadia Ashrafi / Abshishek Jain
Graduate Students: Kyle Spencer / Khyati Mehta / Michal Lazarek / Thomas Head / Yongseok Kim
Undergraduates: Ewenet Mesfin / Abby Kropielnicki
MANA 2021
Postdocs: Yuanyue Li / Elena Legrand / Dorsa Varshavi / Armando Alcázar Magaña / Lisaura Maldonado-Pereira
Graduate Students: Russell Fling / Nathan Stevens / Alexandra Cheney / Yue Han / Nick Rigel
Undergraduates: Ya-Chun Chan / Jerry Chen
MANA 2020: Casey Chamberlain / Russell Fling / Manuel Garcia-Jaramillo / Kehau Hagiwara / Clayton Kranawetter / Ken Liu / Felicity Nielson / Hannah Parks / Markace Rainey / Shao Thing Teoh
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MANA 2025
Jessica Deutsch, Georgia Institute of Technology / Harini Sridharan, Georgia Institute of Technology
MANA 2024
Monica Lucia Monge Loria, Georgia Institute of Technology / Rajnigandha Pushpker, University of Calgary
MANA 2023
Jessica Deutsch, Georgia Institute of Technology / Harini Sridharan, Georgia Institute of Technology
MANA 2022
Ian Han, University of Calgary / Lauren Bishop, University of California, Davis
MANA 2021
Xinyu Fu, Michigan State University / Matthias Klein, Ohio State University
MANA 2020
Arpana Vaniya, University of California, Davis / Mark McCann, University of Michigan
MANA 2019
Arpana Vaniya, University of California, Davis
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MANA 2025
Poster: Blake Rushing, UNC-Chapel Hill
Oral: Molly Hopper, Van Andel Institute
MANA 2024
Poster: Miki Watanabe, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Oral: Uri Keshet, University of California, Davis, West Coast Metabolomics Center
MANA 2023
Poster: Rupasri Mandal, University of Alberta, TMIC
Oral: Uri Keshet, University of California, Davis, West Coast Metabolomics Center
MANA 2022
Poster: Renny Lan, University of Arkansas, Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center
Oral: Shuang Zhao, University of Alberta, TMIC
MANA 2021
Poster: Wasim Sandhu, University of California-Davis, West Coast Metabolomics Center
Oral: Brady Anderson, University of Michigan, Biomedical Research Core Facilities, Metabolomics Core
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MANA 2024 - Assistant Prof. Rachel Kelly, Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
MANA 2023 - Associate Prof. Caroline Johnson, Yale University
MANA 2022 - Prof. Susan Murch, University of British Columbia
First MANA awardees presented at MetSoc 2018 in Seattle, WA
MANA travel awardees at MANA 2022 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Call for Sponsors
MANA heavily relies on support by our institutional, individual and corporate members. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor further awards and travel grants.
Eligibility & Information
Candidates may compete for multiple awards.
MANA members outside of North America are not eligible to apply for MANA awards.
MANA will seek a balance of support across research groups, institutions and awardee demographic diversity. The Awards Committee holds the right to decline the offer of an award if the applicant pool does not meet expectations and eligibility requirements.
The Awards Committee shall intend to offer awards across a breadth of applicants, unless it is deemed clearly obvious that a sole awardee is deserving of multiple awards.
Members of the MANA Annual Conference Scientific Organizing Committee are not eligible for awards.