Nomination and selection procedure

The Prize is awarded to candidates whose scientific achievements are conducive to socio-economic transformation and impact development on a regional or global scale, based on:

• Excellence in research in the fields of basic sciences;
• Basic sciences education and popularization;
• International or regional cooperation in the basic sciences.

There is no age limit for the candidates.

Candidatures of women scientists are encouraged.

The nominations can be submitted by the following entities:

• Governments of Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions
• Non-governmental organizations maintaining official partnerships with UNESCO and active in relevant fields covered by the Prize
• UNESCO Chairs
• Category 2 Centres under the auspices of UNESCO
• International scientific unions
• Universities

No self-nomination shall be considered.

The call for nominations is open until 7 April 2024.

Nominations can only be submitted electronically through an online dedicated template.
Nominations must be completed in full in English or French.
Nominations that are incomplete or received after the deadline shall not be considered.

The International Mendeleev Prize’s Team reviews all applications received before the deadline and transmits the eligible applications to the Jury of the Prize.

The Jury meets once a year to assess the applications.

The Director-General selects the winners based on the assessment and recommendation of the Jury of the Prize.

The Prize shall be awarded by the Director-General or her representative to the individual winners during an official ceremony held for that purpose in alternation at UNESCO’s premises at Headquarters and in the Russian Federation.

The seven eminent members of the jury of the Prize are appointed by the UNESCO Director-General for a two-year period, renewable for a maximum period of six years. These members of the international scientific community, with a recognized reputation in the area of the basic sciences, review the applications and submit their recommendations to the Director-General. The jury operates independently without interference from UNESCO, the donor or any other third party, and is guided in its choice only by scientific excellence.

Eugenio Coronado Miralles (Spain)
Director - Molecular Science Institute (ICMol)
at University of Valencia and European Institute of Molecular Magnetism (EIMM)
2009 National Research Award
2004 Fellow - Royal Society of Chemistry

Martin Möller (Germany)
Senior Professor - Chair of Textile and Macromolecular Chemistry
RWTH Aachen University
Member - Executive Board - Max Planck School Matter to Life
2014 Hermann Staudinger Award
2003 Körber European Science Award

Grigory Vladimirovich Trubnikov (Russian Federation)
Director - Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR)
Member - Russian Academy of Science (RAS)
Member - Scientific Council for Nuclear Physics RAS

Ana María Cetto Kramis (Mexico)
Research Professor - Institute of Physics
Lecturer - Faculty of Sciences
President of the Mexican Physical Society

Krishna N Ganesh (India)
First and Founder Director of two IISERs
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Pune and Tirupati
2016 National Researcher Award in Nanoscience and Technology
2015 H. K. Firodia Vijnan Bhushan Award
2005 TWAS Prize for Chemical Sciences

Tebello Nyokong (South Africa)
2009 L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science
2015 UNESCO Medal for Contribution to Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies
Distinguished Professor - Rhodes University
DST/NRF Research Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Nanotechnology
Director - DST/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre

Samia Charfi Kaddour (Tunisia)
Advisor of the Head of Government of Tunisia
Former Director General of Scientific Research - Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Member - C13 Commission « Physics for development » - International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)
Member - UNESCO Open Science Advisory Committee established in 2020