Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy

The Annie Jump Cannon Award is for outstanding research and promise for future research by a postdoctoral woman researcher. It is given to a North American female astronomer within five years of receiving her PhD in the year designated for the award. For example, the recipient of a PhD in 2014 would be eligible for the 2019 award (which must be applied for in calendar year 2018), but not for the 2020 award (which would be applied for in calendar year 2019). Note, however, that suspensions of career progress due to documented family or medical leave may be allowed as a factor in considering a person's eligibility. The Cannon Award includes an honorarium of $1,500 and an invitation to give an invited talk at a meeting of the AAS, for which travel expenses will be paid.

Self nominations are allowed, and all award requirements must be met at the time of nomination. Nominations are open and are due on 30 June.

View Nomination Checklist View Ethics Self-Disclosure Form

Submit Your Nomination

Donate to the Annie Jump Cannon Award Fund

Annie Jump Cannon Award Committee

2024 - Jennifer Bergner

For her innovative astrochemical work at the intersection of laboratory experiments, theory, and observations, which has established new pathways to interstellar chemical complexity.

2023 – Marta Bryan

For her leadership in observational studies of gas-giant exoplanet formation, evolution, and impact on planetary systems.

2022 – Eve Lee

For her illuminating work on the formation of stars, debris disks, and planets.

2021 – Laura Kreidberg

For her pioneering research on the structure, composition, and dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres.

2020 – Caroline Morley

For her innovative work on modeling the atmospheres of exoplanets and brown dwarfs. She has advanced our understanding of clouds and photochemical hazes and the role they play in observations of transmission and emission spectra.

2019 – Blakesley Burkhart

For her leadership in studies of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence on all scales and in diverse astrophysical environments, using innovative techniques to carefully compare observational data with numerical simulations.

2018 – Lauren Ilsedore Cleeves

For her groundbreaking work on planet formation and protoplanetary disks. She has established herself as an expert in astrochemical signatures in circumstellar disks.
Rebekah Dawson

2017 – Rebekah Dawson

For her work modeling the dynamical interactions of exoplanets in multiplanet systems. Her studies help explain exoplanets’ mutual orbital inclinations and eccentricities as well as their migration toward and away from each other and their host star.

2016 – Laura A. Lopez

For her contributions to understanding the birth-to-death cycle of stars in our galaxy.

2015 – Smadar Naoz

For her pathbreaking contributions in cosmology and planetary dynamics.

2014 – Emily Levesque

For her innovative work using gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) to explore fundamental questions of stellar astrophysics and cosmology.

Awarded by the AAS

Year Recipient(s) Citation
2013 Sarah Dodson-Robinson For her outstanding contributions to the study of the formation of planetary systems.
2012 Heather Knutson For her pioneering work on the characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres.
2011 Rachel Mandelbaum For her ground-breaking contributions to the field of weak gravitational lensing of galaxies.
2010 Anna Frebel For her pioneering work in advancing our understanding of the earliest epochs of the Milky Way Galaxy through the study of its oldest stars.
2009 Alicia M. Soderberg For her exploration of the physics of gamma ray bursts and supernovae and the connections between these two phenomena.
2008 Jenny E. Greene For her studies of massive black holes and their relation to galaxy formation.
2007 Ann Hornschemeier For her X-ray investigations of distant galaxies.
2006 Lisa J. Kewley For her powerful work on theoretical modeling and analysis of galaxy spectra.

Awarded by the AAUW with advice from the AAS

Year Recipient
2004 Sara Ellison
2003 Annette Ferguson
2002 Vassiliki Kalogera
2001 Amy J. Barger
2000 Alycia J. Weinberger
1999 Sally Oey
1998 Victoria M. Kaspi
1997 Chung-Pei Ma
1996 Joan Najita
1995 Suzanne Madden
1994 Andrea Mia Ghez
1993 Stefi Baum
1992 Elizabeth Lada
1991 Jane Luu
1990 C. Megan Urry
1989 Jacqueline N. Hewitt
1988 Karen J. Meech
1986 Rosemary F. Wyse
1984 Harriet L. Dinerstein
1982 Judith S. Young
1980 Lee Anne M. Willson
1978 Paula Szkody
1976 Catharine D. Garmany
1974 Beatrice M. Tinsley

Awarded by the AAS

Year Recipient
1968 Henrietta H. Swope
1965 Erika Böhm-Vitense
1962 Margaret Harwood
1958 Margaret W. Mayall
1955 Helen Dodson Prince
1952 Ida Barney
1949 Helen S. Hogg
1946 Emma W. Vyssotsky
1943 Antonia C. Maury
1940 Julie M. Vinter-Hansen
1937 Charlotte M. Sitterly
1934 Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin