Melvin P. Klein (1921-2000) was a world renown biophysicist at LBNL and the University of California Berkeley Chemistry Department. Mel applied experimental techniques to biological problems, and he was a long time EXAFS user of SSRL who devised the fluorescence detection technique for his group’s dilute samples. At the time of his death, Mel was actively pursuing research into the oxygen-evolving system in plants -- the source of the world's oxygen supply -- a field to which he had made fundamental contributions.
In 2006, the SSRL Users' Executive Committee (SSRL UEC) established an award in memory of Mel. The Melvin P. Klein Scientific Development Award honors a pioneer at the forefront of accomplishments in NMR, EPR, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy who was dedicated to the pursuit of the structure of the Mn complex characterized by the interplay of these methods.
The $1,000 award is intended to recognize outstanding research accomplishments by new investigators and to promote dissemination of research results based on work performed at SSRL. Nominations for undergraduate or graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows within three years of receiving their Ph.D., can be submitted annually before August 7. The award will be presented at the next SSRL/LCLS Users' Meeting on September 25-29, 2023 (link is external),
Recipients of the Scientific Development Award:
- Ashley James, University of Saskatchewan (2023)
- Chengcheng Fan, California Institute of Technology (2022)
- Aisulu Aitbekova, Stanford University (2021)
- Kelly L. Summers, University of Saskatchewan (2020)
- Xinru Wang, University of Arizona/Brown University (2019)
- Chuntian Cao, Stanford Unviersity (2018)
- Suhas Kumar, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (2017)
- Trevor Petach, Stanford University (2016)
- Roopali Kukreja, University of California San Diego (2015)
- Chris Pollock, Penn State University (2014)
- Gaurav Giri, Stanford/Cornell University (2013)
- Tim Miller, Stanford University (2012)
- Jonathan Rivnay, Stanford/Centre Microelectronique de Provence (2011)
- Diling Zhu, Stanford University (2010)
- Leslie Jimison, Stanford University (2009)
- Ajay Virkar, Stanford University (2008)
- Jessica Vey, MIT (2007)
- William Schlotter, SLAC (2006)
Nomination Requirements: Nominations are limited to undergraduate or graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows within three years of receiving their Ph.D. at the time of nomination. The nomination package should include a letter of recommendation from the advisor as well as a CV and an abstract written by the candidate describing the SSRL related experiments and scientific results (approximately 300 words). Candidates are encouraged to include information on their plans to present their work at a scientific conference. Letters of support are encouraged and can often help to strengthen the candidate's nomination package.
Submit nominations by email before August 7.
Cathy Knotts
Manager, User Research Administration
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, SSRL/LCLS
2575 Sand Hill Road, MS 69
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Tel. 650-926-3191
Fax. 650-926-3600
Selection Process: A Melvin P. Klein Award Selection Committee comprising of at least five SSRL UEC members (including graduate students) and at least one representative from SSRL will evaluate and rank the candidates and select an awardee based on the science described in the nomination package. If one of the SSRL graduate students is nominated as a candidate, that individual will excuse her/himself from the selection deliberations.
Award: An SSRL representative or the Award Selection Committee will notify the awardee in August so that the awardee can make arrangements to receive the aw The Award will presented at the Annual Users' Meeting, to be held September 26-30, 2022. The awardee will receive a certificate and $1,000 to further disseminate scientific results based on their work performed at SSRL at a scientific conference. The names of Klein award recipients are added to a plaque displayed in the SSRL User Research Administration Office.
Funding: We invite contributions to continue the Melvin P. Klein Scientific Development Award. Based on the current award fund, annual awards will continue through approximately 2022. Donations can be made by check, made payable to "Stanford University" (noting "The Melvin Klein Award" on the memo line), to Stanford University, c/o Cathy Knotts, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, SSRL/LCLS, 2575 Sand Hill Road MS 99, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Alternatively, to make a gift donation by credit card or electronic transfer (recurring or one-time payments), please phone 866-543-0243 (toll free) Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST to reach a customer service representative who can help you. Please specify that your gift is designated for "The SSRL Melvin Klein Award." Callers from outside the US, please phone 650-724-0627 (not toll free).
Thank you in advance for taking the time to continue to honor Mel Klein and to support the Klein award.
