The prestigious John Rothwell Award has been created by the Brainbox Initiative to acknowledge and reward excellence in non-invasive brain stimulation research that stimulates further work at a higher scientific level

John Rothwell Award

The Prize

Each year, we will award one successful applicant with:

A presentation slot to speak about their research at the Brainbox Initiative Conference (including a travel and accommodation bursary);
An invitation to join us as a guest speaker at a Brainbox Initiative workshop and/or webinar in 2026;
A £1,000 cash prize;
Ongoing support and promotion of your research by the Brainbox Initiative;
An invitation to collaborate with the Brainbox Initiative to develop a workshop relevant to the winner’s research area;
And a profile and video of the winner detailing the successful applicant’s award and research.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for the John Rothwell Award:

Open to postdoctoral researchers, within 10-20 years of completing their PhD (excluding time taken for any breaks in career);
Applicants must be first or second author on up to five publications directly related to non-invasive brain stimulation within the last three years, which should be highlighted to exemplify applicant’s work;
Applicants must evidence distinctive research, shown by publications that contribute directly to the advancement of knowledge in NIBS.

How to apply

All applications for the John Rothwell should clearly and concisely describe the applicant’s current research efforts, and should demonstrate direct relevance to the practical application of non-invasive brain stimulation and imaging techniques (TMS, tES, tFUS, EEG, fNIRS, MRI, etc.).

Applications should be submitted in PDF format. As we understand different projects may necessitate different lengths of applications, we do not enforce a rigid word/page count for applications. Please note, however, that due to the volume of applications that we receive, submissions should be as concise as is reasonably possible.

All applications should cover the applicant’s career, research interests, and contributions to various research projects that they have participated in. Applications must also be accompanied by a copy of an up-to-date CV, and two letters of support from their current research institution.

Award winners will be selected by the Brainbox Initiative Scientific Committee of recognised non-invasive brain stimulation academics.