O’Donnell Awards Information Session Slides and Video Now Available

Video and slides from the 2026 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards Information Session are now available to learn more about the nomination and selection process for the awards.

The 2026 Awards will mark 20 years since the awards were first given. It will be a milestone year to recognize and celebrate the transformative impacts O’Donnell Awards recipients have had on science and society. Nominations are currently open for the 2026 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards through April 30th.

The information session was hosted by Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards Committee Chair Margaret A. Goodell, Ph.D. (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Goodell herself received the 2011 O’Donnell Award in Medicine for her lab’s insights on stem cell biology, immune response to infection and the loss of epigenetics regulation. She is the first past recipient to become Chair of the O’Donnell Awards selection committee.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years – I think it’s really been an impactful program,” said Dr. Goodell during the session. “…it’s been [both] impactful broadly in the state and certainly it was impactful to my career. I was very fortunate to receive one.”

The information session provided guidance on what is important for the subcommittee to see in a nomination packet, what sets a top nominee apart from others and information on who should write support letters.

“You really have to think deeply about how [the nominee’s work] has impacted the field more broadly… and then express it as concisely as possible,” said Dr. Goodell during the session Q&A.

The O’Donnell Awards acknowledge outstanding achievements by Texas-based researchers in five categories: medicine, engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences and technology innovation. They recognize rising star Texas researchers who are addressing the essential role that science and technology play in society and whose work meets the highest standards of exemplary professional performance, creativity and resourcefulness.

Each award includes a $25,000 honorarium, research video, medal and an invitation to present at TAMEST’s Annual Conference each year. Since 2006, 16 O’Donnell Awards recipients have been elected to one of the National Academies and five have been elected to multiple academies.

Nominations for the 2026 O’Donnell Awards are now open and will close April 30, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Shaw, TAMEST Program Director, at stephanie.shaw@austin.utexas.edu.