TWAS seeks nominations for five awards

TWAS is seeking nominations for five awards designed to recognize and highlight exceptional scientific accomplishments in the developing world. The TWAS’s array of awards provide an incentive for scientists to excel on new levels, while bringing global recognition to the achievements of researchers from developing countries. TWAS administers numerous such honours—some of them annual, others conferred every two years—that are often named after generous and highly accomplished TWAS Fellows. Any and all TWAS members as well as science academies, national research councils, universities, and scientific institutions from both the global North and South are invited to submit nominations. Individuals may not nominate themselves.

The awards seeking nominations are:

1. The 2025 TWAS-CAS Young Scientists Award for Frontier Science: This annual award is a result of the long-standing partnership between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and TWAS. This year, candidates for the award can be working in chemistry, physics, or both. Candidates must be no older than 45 and currently living or working in a developing country. The winner receives USD10,000. Read more here.
2. The 2025 TWAS-Abdool Karim Award: This annual award is named after the distinguished TWAS President Quarraisha Abdool Karim, and is for achievements in the biological sciences. Scientists nominated for this award must be women who are no older than 45, as well as nationals of a UN-identified Least Developed Country. The winner receives USD5,000. Read more here.
3. The 2025 TWAS-Fayzah M. Al-Kharafi Award: This annual award is named after the distinguished TWAS Fellow Fayzah M. Al-Kharafi, and in 2025 it is for achievements in the medical sciences. Scientists nominated for this award must be women from TWAS-identified Scientifically and Technologically Lagging countries (STLCs). The winner receives USD4,000. Read more here.
4. The 2025 TWAS-Atta-ur-Rahman Award in Chemistry: This annual award, named after TWAS Fellow and distinguished Pakistani scientist Atta-ur-Rahman, is now sponsored by the Searle Company Ltd. Nominees must be chemists no older than 45, and nationals of an STLC. The winner receives USD5,000. Read more here.
5. The 2025 TWAS-Samira Omar Innovation for Sustainability Award: This annual award is named after the distinguished TWAS Fellow Samira Omar. Nominees must be scientists from LDCs. The award recognizes research with a significant impact on the environment and biodiversity. The winner receives USD 4,000. Read more here.

For more information, please contact awards@twas.org.