Competition
UNESCO-Al Fozan International Prize for Young Scientists in STEM, third edition: US$50,000 for one laureate from Africa
UNESCO
At a glance
- Deadline
- Closes 30 November 2026, 39 days leftThe posting gives a date, not a time. Days left are counted in Lagos time.
- Fee
- No fee to apply
- Who may apply
- under 40 years old on 30 November 2026
- recognised, significant achievements in STEM research (including emerging technologies), STEM education and dissemination, or international or regional cooperation in STEM
- Where
- Online application; one laureate per UNESCO region, including Africa
A US$50,000 prize, a medal and a diploma for each of five scientists under 40, one from each UNESCO region including Africa, for recognised work in STEM research, STEM education or cooperation. You apply online yourself, but the file only counts with a nomination from a university (a head of department or dean, not an individual lecturer), a government through its UNESCO National Commission, a UNESCO Chair or another eligible body. Closes 30 November 2026 at midnight, UTC+1.
The facts
- What you get
- US$50,000 per laureate, with a medal and a diploma
- Where
- Online application; one laureate per UNESCO region, including Africa
- How long
- Applications close 30 November 2026; the prize is awarded every two years
Where you stand
This one is free. There is no fee to apply, and nobody should ask you for money at any point.
What they ask for
- under 40 years old on 30 November 2026
- recognised, significant achievements in STEM research (including emerging technologies), STEM education and dissemination, or international or regional cooperation in STEM
- a nomination from an eligible body such as your university's head of department or dean, your government through its UNESCO National Commission, a UNESCO Chair or an international scientific union; self-nomination is not considered
- an application written fully in English or French
Get ready to apply
Built only from what this listing states.
The application takes real work, by our reading.
1. What to get ready
The listing does not say what it needs. When you open their page, write down everything it asks for before you start.
2. Dates
- Closes 30 November 2026, in 39 days.
- Aim to send it by 27 November 2026. Websites slow down near a deadline, and data runs out. Our advice
Download checklist (.txt) Send to WhatsApp
The download is a small text file. You can read it later without data. It also lists each condition they set, so you can tick yourself against them. WhatsApp sends the same list to you, or to somebody helping you.
No CV yet? Make a plain one from your answers. Nothing you type is kept.
Tips for applying for a competition
General advice from us, the same for every competition. It is not what this organisation says; that is above.
- Read the rules and the judging criteria first, and write to them.
- Check who owns your work after you enter. The rules usually say.
- Submit a day early. Upload pages are often slow near a deadline.
If there is an interview or a test
- If there is a final or a pitch, practise out loud and time yourself.
All our tips and messages to copy. Practise answering, with nothing kept. Received an offer? Check whether it is real, then read before you say yes.
How to apply
You apply on UNESCO's own website, not here. We never send an application for anybody and we never ask you for anything to pass on. Check their page for anything not shown here.
More like this, open now
How we checked this
This was opened and verified at UNESCO's own website on 4 October 2026: it was real, still open, and open to people from African countries. If anything here is wrong, tell us.