The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) has published the new call for the 2024 HFSP Nakasone Award. Until September 30th, the global scientific community is invited to submit their nominations for this prestigious award.
The HFSP Nakasone Award recognizes groundbreaking contributions and breakthrough discoveries in the life sciences. The award celebrates exceptional achievements in scientific excellence, particularly those that have propelled the boundaries of biological knowledge forward.
In its 13th year, the scope of the HFSP Nakasone Award extends to all levels of complexity, encompassing mechanisms of biological phenomena and interactions between organisms and their environments. Breakthrough discoveries can cover a broad spectrum, ranging from molecular and cellular approaches to biological functions to systems neuroscience including cognitive functions.
Nominations will be accepted until September 30th. Nominators have the option to nominate an individual or a pair of scientists jointly for the same award. The nominated scientists should be co-authors of groundbreaking publications or collaborators in key discoveries. Both the nominators and nominees are welcome from any country, and prior engagement with HFSP programs is not a prerequisite for consideration. HFSP is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strongly encourages the nomination of female scientists, early career researchers, individuals from underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds in the scientific community, as well as those from equity-seeking countries.
The selection of the 2024 HFSP Nakasone Awardee will be undertaken by the HFSP Council of Scientists, with the announcement of the winner(s) early 2024.
Recipients of the award will receive a small unrestricted research grant of 15,000 USD, an commemorative medal, and a certificate of recognition. Furthermore, the awardee(s) will deliver the HFSP Nakasone Lecture at the 2024 HFSP Awardees Meeting.
The HFSP Nakasone Award was established in 2010, honoring the vision of former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, who played a pivotal role in conceiving and establishing the International Human Frontier Science Program. Past awardees of the Nakasone Award include distinguished scientists such Karl Deisseroth (2010), Michael Elowitz (2011), Gina Turrigiano (2012), Stephen Quake (2013), Uri Alon (2014), James Collins (2015), Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier (2016), David Julius (2017), Svante Pääbo (2018), Michael Hall (2019), Angelika Amon (2020), Anthony Hyman and Clifford Brangwynne (2021), Aviv Regev, Franz-Ulrich Hartl and Arthur L. Horwich (2022).The 2023 awardee was Rotem Sorek (2023).
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HFSPO was established by the G7 countries at the initiative of former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone of Japan at the 1987 Venice Summit. Open to scientists of every nation, HFSPO is supported by 17 Members, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Commission. The mission of HFSPO is to foster bold, basic, frontier research in the life sciences and interdisciplinary collaborations around the world. Since 1990, close to 8,000 researchers from more than 70 countries have been supported. Of these, 28 HFSP awardees have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.