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UNESCO calls for nominations for its most long-established prize: the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science

8 June 2023

Last update: 9 June 2023

Applications for this prestigious prize are open until 30 July 2023. Scientists, journalists, educators and science communicators from around the world who have made substantial contributions to science popularization through various means, including media, publications and public engagements, are encouraged to apply. To be considered by UNESCO, the applications must be endorsed either by the candidate’s government, in consultation with their National Commission for UNESCO, or by an NGO that has official partnership with UNESCO.

The recipient of the 2023 UNESCO Kalinga Prize will be selected by an international jury of science communication experts. The laureate will be awarded a medal and a monetary award of US$40,000 during the celebration of World Science Day for Peace and Development, in November 2023 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.

Seventy years of celebrating the popularization of science

Since its establishment in 1951, the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science has celebrated more than 60 individuals. Originally an annual prize, it is now awarded every two years. Previous laureates include prominent personalities such as Jayant Narlikar, Margaret Mead and Sir David Attenborough. Some of the laureates have been scientists (including a few Nobel Prize winners), others have been journalists, writers and educators. They all have played an important role in bridging the knowledge gap between the scientific community and the general public and in inspiring generations to embrace science and appreciate its transformative potential.