Best Early Career Paper Award

To help foster the next generation of STD researchers, the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association (ASTDA), in partnership with the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, established an annual award recognizing outstanding STD-related research conducted by early career authors. This award reflects ASTDA's ongoing commitment to mentorship, scientific excellence, and professional development within the field.

Award Details: The Best Early Career Paper Award is presented annually at the ASTDA Awards Ceremony. The award honors exceptional scientific contributions published in Sexually Transmitted Diseases by investigators early in their careers.

Focus Areas:

• STD-related research
• Early career research contributions

Eligibility Criteria:

• Lead (first) author must self-identify as early career author during manuscript submission and registration process
• Early career author definition: students, postdoctoral or clinical fellows, and junior faculty members within two years of completing their training
• Manuscript must be accepted for publication in Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Application: No separate application required. All eligible manuscripts accepted for publication in Sexually Transmitted Diseases are automatically considered for the award.

• Website: astda.org
• Location: NC, US

Selection Process

The award recipient is selected through a two-step review process designed to ensure fairness and scientific rigor:

Step 1: Nomination Phase

• Associate Editors and Editor-in-Chief of Sexually Transmitted Diseases nominate one to two accepted manuscripts
• Nominees must be directly handled by nominating editor and meet eligibility criteria

Step 2: Editorial Review Phase

• Nominated manuscripts reviewed by journal's Editorial Board
• Board votes to rank first-, second-, and third-place selections

Submission: No separate application required. Eligible manuscripts must be submitted through normal Sexually Transmitted Diseases submission process with lead author self-identifying as early career during manuscript submission and registration.