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Blavatnik Awards

Blavatnik Awards
February 24, 2026
Three Women Named Britain’s Brightest Young Scientists, Each Winning ‘Unrestricted’ £100,000 Blavatnik Awards Prize

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences tonight announced the three 2026 Laureates of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom, who each receive £100,000 – the nation’s largest unrestricted prize for science. The Laureates were announced tonight at a gala dinner and awards ceremony held at the historic Banqueting House in London. The recipients, selected from nine outstanding Finalists, are recognised for exceptional early-career achievements across the Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. The remaining six Finalists are each awarded £30,000 in recognition of their exceptional scientific contributions. It is the second time in the United Kingdom that all three Laureates in the Blavatnik Awards are women scientists.

Blavatnik Awards
February 10, 2026
Bangor University Researcher Announced as Finalist in Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists

Dr Iestyn Woolway of Bangor University has been named one of nine UK finalists for the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, becoming the first researcher from both Bangor University and Wales to receive this distinction. His research examines how climate change is reshaping lakes and freshwater ecosystems, advancing scientific understanding of environmental change and informing policy discussions. “I am honoured to be selected as a finalist alongside other leading researchers in the UK,” he said. The finalists will be recognised at a ceremony later this month, where the 2026 Laureates will be announced.

Blavatnik Awards
February 10, 2026
Pontus Skoglund Recognised as 2026 Blavatnik Finalist

Pontus Skoglund, Senior Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute, has been named a 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists UK Finalist in the Life Sciences category for his pioneering work in ancient DNA and human genetic history. He established the UK’s first high-throughput ancient DNA laboratory at the Crick, significantly advancing the analysis of archaeological remains and enabling new insights into human migration and evolution. His research combines large-scale genomic data and computational approaches to reconstruct population histories and trace the co-evolution of humans and pathogens. “I am honoured to receive this recognition from the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The award reflects the collective efforts of my research group and collaborators, and it is exciting to see our work on human genetic history and disease evolution highlighted on such a significant stage,” Skoglund said. His selection as a Finalist underscores the growing impact of ancient genomics on understanding human biology, history, and disease.

Blavatnik Awards
February 10, 2026
Young Scientists from Across the UK Shortlisted for Largest Unrestricted Science Prize

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences have announced the nine Finalists for the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom, recognizing early-career researchers across Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering whose work spans areas such as genetic engineering, neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, energy processes in cells, venom toxinology, telomerase structure, ancient DNA, nanoscale materials, planet formation, and climate impacts on freshwater systems. Three Laureates, to be named at a gala in London on 24 February, will each receive an unrestricted £100,000 prize, while the six other Finalists will each be awarded £30,000 to support their research. Selected by an independent jury from 91 nominees across 46 UK institutions, the Finalists reflect both scientific excellence and the potential for broad societal impact. “The Awards were created to honor outstanding, early-career scientists, accelerate their research, and ensure that discoveries with the potential to dramatically improve society are recognized, supported, and implemented,” said Sir Leonard Blavatnik, Founder of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The unrestricted prizes provide flexible support that researchers can apply to advance their work without limitations. Together, this cohort highlights the depth and diversity of emerging scientific leadership in the UK.

Blavatnik Awards
February 5, 2026
Embodying Polymer Chemistry with a Purpose by Upcycling Plastics and Trapping PFAS

In a Chemistry World profile, Blavatnik Award–winning chemist Frank Leibfarth describes how his work in polymer chemistry is driven by purpose as much as discovery, with a focus on upcycling plastics and capturing persistent “forever chemicals” (PFAS). By redesigning how common polymers behave at the molecular level, Leibfarth aims to add value to plastic waste rather than simply recycling it into lower-grade materials. His research also explores new polymer systems that can selectively bind and remove harmful contaminants from water. Together, these efforts illustrate how thoughtful materials design can address sustainability and public-health challenges, underscoring why his work has been recognized with a Blavatnik Award for advancing chemistry that is both rigorous and socially relevant.

Blavatnik Awards
January 13, 2026
Muons: Emblems of discovery

In a Symmetry Magazine article, scientists reflect on the muon—a short-lived cousin of the electron whose unexpected discovery reshaped modern particle physics. Produced when cosmic rays strike Earth’s atmosphere, muons constantly pass through matter, making them powerful tools for both fundamental research and practical applications, from probing the Standard Model to imaging the interiors of large structures. Decades after their discovery, muons continue to test the limits of existing theories and point toward possible new physics. This enduring role as both a puzzle and a probe underscores the kind of foundational inquiry pursued by researchers such as Nathaniel Craig, a 2025 Blavatnik Award National finalist, whose work engages with the open questions that particles like the muon continue to raise.

Blavatnik Awards
January 7, 2026
PFAS, Microplastics and What Comes Next for North Carolina’s Water

North Carolina is confronting complex water-quality challenges as regulators consider binding limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and scientists broaden their focus to include microplastics, which increasingly are found alongside PFAS in water and food. As the state’s Environmental Management Commission weighs new rules to reduce these persistent contaminants, researchers are advancing practical treatment solutions for existing systems. Among them is Frank Leibfarth, a 2025 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists National laureate whose work on advanced polymer materials and pilot-scale removal technologies aims to capture and destroy PFAS while informing sustainable plastic design—exemplifying the kind of innovation needed to protect public health and water resources in North Carolina.

Blavatnik Awards
November 6, 2025
Kranzusch Wins Major Award

Philip J. Kranzusch, a professor at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has been named as a laureate for the Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists. Kranzusch was one of three laureates announced at a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York last month. The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists honor outstanding contributions by researchers aged 42 and younger in the United States in the Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences and Engineering. Kranzusch was recognized for discoveries made by his lab, which reveal how core components of the human immune system descended from ancient proteins that first evolved in bacteria billions of years ago. These proteins inhibit the replication of bacteriophages (known informally as phages), or viruses within bacteria. The work provides insights into host-virus interactions throughout all kingdoms of life.

Blavatnik Awards
October 28, 2025
2025 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists National Laureate, Elaina Sutley, Featured in NPR’s Short Wave Podcast

From New Zealand to New York, people and communities are moving to avoid climate disasters. In the face of floods, wildfires and other natural disasters, when should a community relocate to avoid potential harm? This month's Nature Quest is about that very question. Listener Molly Magid in New Zealand wanted to know if and how other communities have chosen the path of "managed retreat." That's the purposeful and coordinated movement of people and assets out of harm's way. In this episode, we speak to: Elaina Sutley, a professor in structural engineering at the University of Kansas and associate dean for Impact and Belonging, and a laureate of the 2025 Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists; Miyuki Hino, a professor in the city and regional planning department and in the environment, ecology and energy program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Morris Alexie, a community engagement specialist with the Woodwell Climate Research Center and former tribal administrator for the Native Village of Nunapitchuk.

Blavatnik Awards
October 24, 2025
Celebrating Scientific Excellence at the 2025 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists Ceremony

The American Museum of Natural History provided a stunning backdrop for the 2025 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists ceremony, held on October 7, 2025 where exceptional early-career researchers were honored with the nation’s largest unrestricted prize for young scientists. The event was hosted by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences. Nicholas Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, highlighted the remarkable growth and impact of the awards program since its inception in 2007. “Now in their nineteenth year, the Blavatnik Awards have distinguished themselves as one of the world’s most prestigious international prizes in the scientific community, dedicated to advancing groundbreaking research and supporting exceptional talent,” Dirks explained. He emphasized the program’s success: “Since its inception, the awards have recognized over 500 honorees from 120 research institutions.” Dirks also spoke about the Award’s impressive economic impact, noting that Blavatnik Scholars have founded over 50 companies, raised 2.4 billion dollars in capital, and secured over 7,300 patents worldwide.

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