Nominations open for VinFuture Grand and Special Prize 2024

Deadline Date: April 17, 2024

Donor Name: VinFuture Foundation

Grant Size: More than $1 million

The VinFuture Foundation is now calling for nominations for the VinFuture Grand Prize and three Special Prizes to recognize exceptional inventors and researchers from global academic universities, research labs, and industry.

Fields

• The VinFuture Prize recognizes breakthroughs across all fields of science, technology and engineering that have already delivered impact or show the potential to deliver impact for real-world problems that align with at least one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Prize Information

The VinFuture Prize comprises:  

• A Grand Prize of US$3 million, awarded annually for breakthrough research and technological innovations that positively improve the quality of human life, and create a more equitable and sustainable world for future generations. The Grand Prize would be open to all, regardless of the candidate’s nationality, age, gender, social status, or economic background.
• Three Special Prizes of US$500,000 each with a focus on promoting diversity, equity, and new fields of study will also be awarded annually to:
  • Innovators from Developing Countries
  • Female Innovators
  • Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields

Eligibility Criteria

• The VinFuture Prize will partner with prestigious academic institutions and organizations around the globe to identify the most outstanding nominations that create meaningful change in the everyday lives of millions of people.
  • No self-nominations are accepted.
  • Only nominations submitted in English are accepted.
  • Both organizational/institutional nominators and individual nominators can submit their nominations for the VinFuture Prizes.
  • VinFuture Prize welcomes nominations from reputable organizations such as universities, research institutes/centers, academies of science and technology, scientific associations/networks, corporations and industries, innovation incubators and from prominent individuals in the related areas.

Criteria

• There should be clear evidence, or potential, for an end-product or service based on the solution, which has an everyday practical application;
• Solutions should have already benefited millions of people in the past 10 years for the Grand Prize, or have the potential to benefit millions of people in the next 10 years for the Special Prizes;
• Solutions should be aligned with one or more of the United Nation’s SDGs;
• Solutions must be scientifically proven (i.e., there should be clear evidence of passing relevant scientific trials, and in the case of research, it must be empirically proven or widely reviewed);
• Open to researchers or inventors who were involved in developing the underlying solutions, and not entrepreneurs or corporates who helped in commercialization/diffusion of the technology;
• End-products of the research should benefit people globally, including those from developing and less developed countries, as well as lower-income and disadvantaged communities;
• Open to individuals or teams of researchers/inventors.

For more information, visit VinFuture Foundation.