Joy Cappel Innovator Award
The Joy Cappel Antibody Development Award recognizes outstanding early-career scientists whose research reflects originality, rigor, and a drive to push the boundaries of discovery. Selected awardees collaborate closely with Rockland’s antibody development team to design and generate a custom polyclonal antibody for their own research project.
Joy Cappel led Rockland for more than 30 years, guiding the company with persistence and imagination. She was a self-taught leader who transformed a small regional lab into an organization known worldwide for quality and collaboration. Her belief that curiosity and hard work could open doors to meaningful scientific progress continues to shape Rockland’s mission today.
Through this award, Rockland provides hands-on support, scientific partnership, and access to specialized antibody design and production resources. The program gives innovators the opportunity to work side-by-side with experienced scientists and turn their ideas into tangible research tools that drive results.
In previous years, Rockland supported early researchers through the Joy Cappel Young Investigator Award, a program focused primarily on undergraduate and select graduate applicants. The updated Joy Cappel Antibody Development Award builds on that foundation while widening eligibility to include graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and doctoral-level investigators. This broader scope reflects the reality of modern research, where meaningful antibody development often occurs at more advanced stages of scientific training.
The program also strengthens Rockland’s commitment to the greater Philadelphia scientific community. By prioritizing applicants from regional academic and biotech institutions, the award supports a local research ecosystem where collaboration, innovation, and antibody-driven discovery continue to grow.
Conditions of Participation
- Must be a high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student currently accepted or enrolled at a college or university in the United States for the upcoming fall or spring term
- Intended major must be in Life Sciences or a related field
- Video length should be between 2-4 minutes
- Video must include at least 2 references to support your topic
Rubric
| Category | Weight | What We're Looking For |
| Scientific Rigor | 1/3 | Accurate explanation of scientific concepts, use of peer-reviewed sources, and clear citations. |
| Originality & Creativity | 1/3 | Unique angle or topic choice, strong storytelling, creative framing or metaphor use. Avoid generic summaries. |
| Visuals & Conceptual Engagement | 1/3 | Use of visuals (slides, props, diagrams, imagery) to deepen understanding. |
Tips
- Plan ahead: Outline your main points and rehearse if necessary.
- Use visuals: Use slides or relevant images to enhance your presentation.
- Depth over breadth: if choosing a major topic (COVID-19 vaccine, CRISPR, Stem Cells, etc.), focus on a single study or subtopic.
- Show your passion: Speak with enthusiasm and demonstrate your genuine interest in the life sciences.
- Ensure good audio and video quality: Run a test beforehand and record in a well-lit, quiet location.
Deadline
The application below must be submitted by July 20th for fall semester or by January 20th for spring semester of the current year.
After a review process, including marketing and technical representatives, a winner will be selected and notified two weeks after the application deadline. A check will then be sent directly to the university provided in the application.