Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists 2026

Sponsor

SciLifeLab (Sweden), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Description

In order to promote young scientists early in their careers, SciLifeLab and Science magazine/AAAS have joined forces in creating a global prize, the Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists, awarding the best PhD thesis work in life science. An essay based on the thesis is submitted to the editorial board of Science and four winners are selected each year.

As a winner, you will have your essay published by Science, receive up to $30,000 USD and be invited to Sweden where you receive your award, present your research and meet with leading scientists in your field. The award banquet is held in the Hall of Mirrors at Grand Hôtel, the original venue of the Nobel Prize.

Prize categories:

• Cell and Molecular Biology – includes cellular and molecular processes at levels ranging from single-molecule to single-cell to tissue and organ systems.
• Genomics, Proteomics and Systems Biology – includes genomics, proteomics, integrative omics and systems biology approaches, including computational, to facilitate comprehensive understanding of living cells, organisms and species.
• Ecology and​ Environment – includes interactions between organisms and their environment and how these processes are influenced by human activity.
• Molecular Medicine – includes building on the molecular understanding of disease in humans to develop preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, including individualized medicine.

Eligibility

Eligibility:

• ​Text generated from AI, machine learning or similar algorithmic tools cannot be used to generate the submission nor its accompanying figures, images or graphics. Limited editing with tools such as Grammarly is acceptable but must be declared. During submission, entrants will be required to declare they have not used AI inconsistent with this requirement. Entrants are accountable for the accuracy of the entry and for ensuring that there is no plagiarism. They must also ensure that all sources are appropriately cited and should carefully review the work to guard against bias that may be introduced by AI. Editors may decline to consider an entry if AI is used inappropriately.
• Entrants for the 2026 prize must have been awarded their PhD between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025.
• The research described in the entrant’s thesis must fall within one of the four categories.
• The prize will only recognize work that was performed while the entrant was a graduate student.
• The prize will be awarded without regard to sex, race or nationality.
• Essays on the same research cannot win more than one Science Prize regardless of who the entrant is. While the research may be part of a larger team effort, for the purposes of this Prize, an eligble entrant must be a single individual and the essay must focus on their contribution.
• Past winners of a Science Prize cannot be eligible for another Science Prize until at least 5 years have passed since the award.

Prize

Each year, a Grand Prize winner is selected from the applicants to receive $30,000 USD in prize money. The three other category winners are awarded $10,000 USD each for their accomplishments.

The grand prize winning essay will be published in Science and essays from the three other category winners will be published online.

How to Apply

​Applications must be submitted using the application form found on the Science AAAS website. Further details regarding nomination criteria can be found on the Science AAAS website.

Please also send a copy of the nomination and an OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca by the external deadline.

For More Information

Please contact kkariyap@uoguelph.ca or SciLifeLabPrize@aaas.org. Please also visit the Science AAAS website.