Call for nominations: Third edition of the UNESCO-Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences

Kindly be informed that the deadline for submissions has be extended to 7 April 2024

Basic sciences – chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology – allow us to understand natural phenomena and drive innovation. Investing in these disciplines is essential to create the tools we need to address global socio-economic and environmental challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, technology divide, water and energy crises.

The UNESCO-Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences aims to raise awareness of the importance of these disciplines for peaceful and prosperous societies. It was created to foster scientific progress, science popularization and international cooperation.

The Prize is awarded annually to two scientists in recognition of their breakthrough discoveries, outstanding innovations and avid promotion of the basic sciences which have led to socio-economic transformation at global or regional scale. The first edition of the prize was in 2021.

Who was Dimitri Mendeleev?

A true Renaissance man, with expertise ranging from chemistry to physics via applications such as aeronautics, hydrodynamics and meteorology – who developed the periodic classification of the elements by arranging them in order of increasing atomic weight. His discovery of the Periodic Law and the periodic table of chemical elements changed the course of science. Each generation of scientists is “standing on the shoulders of giants,” as Isaac Newton put it, and modern science is largely built on the foundation created by Mendeleev.

The Prize aims to reward major achievements in research, education and international cooperation in the basic sciences for sustainable development.

It shall be awarded annually to two individual prize-winners for achievements that are conducive to socio-economic transformation and development on a global or regional scale, based on:

1. excellence in research in the basic sciences fields;
2. basic sciences education and popularization;
3. international or regional cooperation in the basic sciences.

The Prize consists of a monetary reward of US $250,000 for each of the two winners. A gold medal and a diploma will also be awarded to each of the recipients.

All applications must be submitted online via a dedicated template available on the Application Process’s webpage, in English or French.

The Mendeleev Prize Team (tel.: +33 (0)1 45 68 10 61; e-mail: mendeleevprize@unesco.org) remains at your disposal for any clarification regarding the nomination process.