By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Science/AAAS and SciLifeLab is calling for submission of entries for its Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists.
The prize is awarded annually to one young scientist for outstanding life science research for which they were awarded a doctoral degree in the previous two years.
Benefits
- A prize award of USD 30,000 for the grand prize winner and USD 10,000 for each of the category winners.
- All federal, state and local taxes and any other costs and expenses associated with the receipt or use of the prize are the sole responsibility of the winner.
- The grand prize-winning essay will be published in Science, and essays from the each of the category winners will be published online.
Eligibility Criteria
- The subject of the research described in the thesis must fall within one of the following scopes (Subject Tracks): Cell and Molecular Biology, Genomics, Proteomics and Systems Biology approach, Ecology and Environment and Molecular Medicine
- The prize will only recognise work that was performed while the entrant was a graduate student.
- Past winners of a Science Prize cannot be eligible for another Science Prize until at least 5 years have passed since the award.
- Entrants for the 2025 prize must have been awarded their Ph.D. between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2024. Only qualifications obtained during this period will be accepted.
Documents required for Application
- A completed Entry Form.
- An essay, written by the applicant, describing the thesis work and its implications for research in the selected Subject Track.
- The essay must not exceed 1,000 words in length and may include one figure or table and up to 15 references cited numerically in the text (not included in word count).
- A one-page reference letter from your advisor or a member of your thesis committee. The letter should include an assessment of the applicant and comment on the significance of the applicant’s research.
- The abstract of the thesis (not to exceed four double-spaced typed pages), including full citations of all published or in-press papers on the research described in the essay, academic and professional honours that the entrant has received, and relevant professional experience.
How to Apply
The entry form and additional submission materials must be submitted electronically through the prize-management system. Click here to apply before 15 July 2025.
The Science/AAAS and SciLifeLab are inviting submissions for their Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists, acknowledging outstanding life science research by recent doctoral graduates within the past two years. The grand prize winner receives USD 30,000, while each category winner gets USD 10,000. The winning essays will be published in Science and online.
Eligible applicants must have research in specific scientific areas such as Cell and Molecular Biology or Molecular Medicine, conducted during their graduate studies. Past winners are barred from entering for another prize within five years. Doctorates must be awarded between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024.
Applicants need to submit an entry form with a 1,000-word essay describing their thesis work, a reference letter from an advisor, and a detailed abstract of their thesis. Applications must be electronically submitted by July 15, 2025, through the designated prize-management system.
