The Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists is an international award jointly run by Science/AAAS and SciLifeLab (Sweden), with support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. It recognises outstanding recent PhD research in the life sciences and selects four category winners, who then compete for the Grand Prize. Winning essays are published by Science (grand prize in the journal; category winners online), and winners are invited to Stockholm for the awards week.
The prize is awarded in four categories: Cell and Molecular Biology, Genomics/Proteomics/Systems Biology Approaches, Ecology & Environment, and Molecular Medicine.

Objective: to recognise exceptional doctoral research by early-career scientists and provide global visibility (including publication in Science) and career-boosting networking opportunities

Requirements / Eligibility criteria

• PhD date window (2026 edition): awarded between 1 Jan 2024 and 31 Dec 2025.
• Individual entry: the entrant must be one person; the essay must focus on their contribution, and the recognised work must have been done during graduate studies.
• Non-discrimination: open regardless of sex, race, or nationality.
• Submission package (key items): online entry form + ≤1,000-word essay (may include one figure/table and up to 15 references) + one-page reference letter + thesis abstract (≤4 double-spaced pages) + list of relevant publications/awards/experience.
• Important rule: AI-generated text/figures cannot be used to create the submission (limited editing tools may be allowed but must be declared).
• Additional exclusions apply (e.g., certain relationships to prize management/sponsorship and past-winner limits).

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