UNESCO announces the opening of the call for nominations for the fourth edition of the UNESCO-Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences. The Director-General has transmitted the launch of the call for nominations to UNESCO Member States (CL/4533).




The UNESCO-Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences aims to recognize and reward, each year, major achievements in the development, dissemination and international cooperation in the field of the basic sciences. It is named after Dimitri Mendeleev, whose periodic table emphasizes the need for international scientific collaboration.

This Prize, established by the Executive Board of UNESCO in 2019, is awarded each year to two laureates, each receiving a reward of $250,000.

In accordance with the Statutes of the Prize, nominations shall be submitted by the Governments of UNESCO Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions for UNESCO; non-governmental organizations in official partnerships with UNESCO and active in relevant fields covered by the Prize; UNESCO Chairs; Category 2 institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO; and international scientific unions and universities. Self-nominations will not be considered.

In addition, I would like to highlight the importance the Prize attributes to the two UNESCO Global Priorities, Africa and gender equality, and I encourage better representation of candidates from these two Global Priorities. Increasing the visibility and recognition of outstanding women scientists in the basic sciences is critical for building inclusive scientific communities and inspiring future generations, including upcoming young female scientists.

All applications must be submitted online via a template available on the webpage of the Prize, by 15 March 2026 at the latest, in English or French.

Download the statutes of the Prize. Any enquiries regarding the nomination process should be addressed directly to the Secretariat of the Prize (tel.: +33 (0)1 45 68 10 61; e-mail: mendeleevprize@unesco.org).