Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award

  • The application deadline for the “2026 Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award” has been extended to February 28, 2026.
  • Award Guidelines
  • Download Application Form
  • Application Process
  • Previous Awardees

Award Guidelines

i. Origin
The Taiwan Entomological Society set up the Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award, in honor of Dr. Nan-Yao Su, a distinguished professor at the University of Florida. The award recognizes the extraordinary work done by researchers in the field of entomology across Asia. The award fund was set up in 2019 with contributions from Dr. Nan-Yao Su for 50,000 USD, then President Dr. Hou-Feng Li for 300,000NTD, and Mr. Yi-Sheng Lu for 100,000 NTD, during the 40th annual meeting of the Taiwan Entomological Society. The board authorized the society to set up this award and to determine the winner through selection procedures.


ii. Award
The award is granted every two years to one scholar, which consists of funding to the value of 5,000 USD, a trophy, and a lifetime honorary membership to the Taiwan Entomological Society. The scholar is invited to present his/her academic work at the annual meeting of the Taiwan Entomological Society.


iii. Candidate eligibility
The candidate is to be nominated. Membership with the Taiwan Entomological Society is not required for either the candidate or the nominator. The candidate should work as a researcher or specialist in the field of entomology at a research institute or organization in Asia. If no candidate is determined to be eligible, there will be no winner. The winner of this research award may only receive the award once.


iv. Nomination
The Taiwan Entomological Society will announce relevant information and notify entomology-related research institutes and organizations in Asia. The nominator will need to provide a nomination cover letter (see appendix, including a consent form from both the nominator and nominee). Please provide the following documents when nominating a candidate:
•    Complete curriculum vitae of the candidate
•    At least two recommendation letters
•    A complete list of publications of the candidate
The documents should be submitted in PDF format to the Taiwan Entomological Society.

v. Review Process

  1.  Review Board
    Five members of the standing Directors of the Taiwan Entomological Society will serve as members of the review board. The President of the Taiwan Entomological Society will serve as the Chair of the Review Board. The winner will be announced at the annual meeting. If the nominee or nominator is a member of the Review Board, he or she should not serve as a member of the review board to avoid a conflict of interest, and the vacancy will be taken up by a director.
  2. Selection process
    All documents will be submitted to the secretary group and passed on to the members of the Review Board. Every member will select three candidates for the second round of the review process. A list of selected candidates will be generated for members of the review board to assign scores. A short list will be compiled based on the final score of each candidate, from highest to lowest.
  3. Voting process
    A recorded vote will be used to decide the winner, starting from the top of the short list. The first candidate to receive approval from all members will be declared the winner. Review meetings may be held via teleconference under special circumstances.

vi. Deadlines

The nominations for 2024 Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award is currently closed. For the 2026 award nomination, the submission will be accepted from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026. The schedule is subject to change.
Updates: The application deadline for the “2026  Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award” is extended to February 28, 2026.

 vii. Additional information

  1. If a candidate violates any academic ethics, his/ her nomination will be cancelled. If a winner is later found guilty of any academic ethics violation, his or her award will be retracted.
  2. The award winner is responsible for taxation of the prize money.
  3. The Taiwan Entomological Society maintains the right to make any procedural modifications concerning this award.
     

Download Application Form

1. 作業辦法_蘇南耀昆蟲學學術獎 (pdf)
2. 提名表_蘇南耀昆蟲學學術獎 (word)

◆ Downloads:

1. Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award (pdf)

2. Nomination Form_Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award (word)

Application Process

The Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award is held biennially. The application process is as follows:

Item

Period

Open Call for Nominations

January 1, 2025 – February 28, 2026

Review Process

February – June 2026

Award Ceremony

October–November 2026, during the Annual Meeting of Taiwan Entomological Society

 

Previous Awardees

2022 蘇南耀昆蟲學學術獎 Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award
AwardeeCurrent AppointmentAwards and Honors

Kenji Matsuura

Professor

Assistant Director, Kyoto University

Dr. Kenji Matsuura has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of termite biology and entomology. He was the first scientist to discover asexual queen succession (AQS), overturning the long-standing assumption that termite colonies are succeeded by neotenic inbreeding after the death of primary kings and queens. His discovery revealed a novel reproductive strategy that has since been identified in multiple termite species, representing a pivotal milestone in understanding termite reproductive systems.

He further demonstrated that genomic imprinting can influence the caste fates of termite offspring through parental phenotypes, greatly advancing scientific understanding of caste-determination mechanisms. In addition, he discovered an extraordinary case of fungus egg mimicry, where a newly identified fungus mimics termite eggs and parasitically inhabits nests. Building on this discovery, he invented a “pseudo-egg-type termite control agent,” enabling termites to transport insecticidal active substances into their own nests—a significant breakthrough in termite control strategies.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Matsuura has played a vital role in training the next generation of entomologists, mentoring numerous students who have gone on to secure academic positions and expand their own research fields. He also contributed substantially to the successful bidding of the 2024 International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto, later serving as secretary-general to promote entomology in Asia with remarkable dedication and leadership.

For these exceptional scientific discoveries and his outstanding contributions to education and international collaboration, he was awarded the 2022 Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award by the Taiwan Entomological Society.

He further demonstrated that genomic imprinting can influence the caste fates of termite offspring through parental phenotypes, greatly advancing scientific understanding of caste-determination mechanisms. In addition, he discovered an extraordinary case of fungus egg mimicry, where a newly identified fungus mimics termite eggs and parasitically inhabits nests. Building on this discovery, he invented a “pseudo-egg-type termite control agent,” enabling termites to transport insecticidal active substances into their own nests—a significant breakthrough in termite control strategies.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Matsuura has played a vital role in training the next generation of entomologists, mentoring numerous students who have gone on to secure academic positions and expand their own research fields. He also contributed substantially to the successful bidding of the 2024 International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto, later serving as secretary-general to promote entomology in Asia with remarkable dedication and leadership.

For these exceptional scientific discoveries and his outstanding contributions to education and international collaboration, he was awarded the 2022 Nan-Yao Su Entomology Research Award by the Taiwan Entomological Society.