Foreign scientists can apply for Russia’s ‘Vyzov’ prize

Up until May 25, 2026, scientists from around the world can submit their applications for the ‘Discovery’ category of Russia’s National Prize in ‘Future Technologies’, called ‘Vyzov’ (literally, ‘Challenge’).

Established in 2023, the prize honors “science-intensive developments and research that have significant potential to improve people's lives”. The total prize fund is 65 million rubles (approx. $885,000), distributed across five categories. One of these is ‘Discovery’, where foreign scholars can compete for the 12 million-ruble (≈ $160,000) award.

In previous years, the winners in this category were Valery Fokin, professor of Chemistry at the University of Southern California (U.S.), as well as Nikos Logothetis, Director of the International Center for Primate Brain Research (ICPBR) in Shanghai. 

Conditions for the ‘Discovery’ nomination:

Who can participate: Foreign scientists (and/or citizens of the Russian Federation who are non-residents of the Russian Federation) and research teams (consisting of no more than three members), who are of legal age, with no upper age limit;.

What it is awarded:

• For a significant scientific discovery (for example, presented in the form of a scientific paper or a series of papers) that has influenced the development of science and technology and for which a link can be established to the potential creation of a future technology (with an expected implementation horizon of 3–10 years);
• For scientific discoveries made outside the Russian Federation that have contributed to the advancement of global science.

For more details and application, please visit fondvyzov.com (the website is available in English).