Call for Nominations

Dear members of the IS3NA,

The Imbach-Townsend and the Montgomery awards are conferred to internationally recognized scientists at each International Round Table (IRT). All the members of IS3NA are welcomed to nominate deserving scientists who fit the criteria for the awards. The nominations should be sent to the President (Prof. Ramon Eritja) and to the award committee chair (Prof. Piet Herdewijn). Members have two months in which to send nominations which will be examined by the award committee. The winners will be awarded during the IRT in Barcelona in August 2026, where the winners will both give a lecture.

The Imbach-Townsend Award was established in 2006 to honor the two scientists who founded the International Round Tables in 1972, namely Profs. Jean-Louis Imbach and Leroy B. Townsend. Each of these scientists made seminal contributions to the area of nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids during their careers. Prof. Imbach focused on the synthesis of nucleosides and oligonucleotides with carbohydrate modifications, as well as on nucleoside monophosphate prodrugs. The main focus of Prof. Townsend's research was on nucleosides with various altered heterocyclic bases. Their seminal contributions continue to be regularly cited in the scientific literature.

The Imbach-Townsend award is made to a scientist at each International Round Table based upon the following criteria:

• The scientist should exemplify the spirit and dedication shown by Jean-Louis Imbach and Leroy Townsend during their respective careers.

• The award is to recognize outstanding accomplishment in the fields of nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids, and the recipient may be a chemist or a biologist.

• Recipients may be of any age, but the award is for one or more specific achievements, and is not intended as a lifetime achievement award.

• The award recipient receives a gift, a cash prize, meeting expenses, and he or she will present a lecture at the International Roundtable where the award is presented.

The John A. Montgomery Award was established by IS3NA in 2006 in honor of the contributions to chemotherapy made by Professor John A. Montgomery. Dr. J. A. Montgomery's pioneering approaches to applying both chemistry and biology to structure-based drug design have laid much of the foundation for present research in this field. His research resulted in the publication of over 400 research papers and over 50 patents. He is a co-inventor of five FDA approved anti-cancer drugs and was a major contributor to the field of nucleoside chemistry and the design of nucleoside antimetabolite drugs.

• The John A. Montgomery Award recipient should embody the spirit of Dr. Montgomery. The recipient may be a chemist or biologist, working in the field of nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids of biological relevance, preferentially in the domain of anticancer and antiviral chemotherapy.

• The award is for one or more specific achievements and is not intended as a life achievement award.

• The award recipient receives a gift, a cash prize, meeting expenses, and he or she will present a lecture at the International Roundtable where the award is presented.