New ASU-Science prize recognizing research focused on societal impact open for submissions

The ASU-Science Prize for Transformational Research will be awarded to an early-career researcher whose work who uses new methods to identify problems and produce findings with impacts on policy

2025-05-01

(Press-News.org) A partnership announced in January between the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Arizona State University (ASU) includes a new prize for early-career scientists whose research focuses on societal impact. As of 1 May, this prize, developed with AAAS’s flagship peer-reviewed journal, Science, is open for submissions.

The ASU-Science Prize for Transformational Research will be awarded to a researcher who uses new methods to identify problems and produce findings with impacts on policy. Prize-winning work could inform issues ranging from human health to beneficial uses of artificial intelligence.

"The prize will empower the next generation of scientists to create tangible benefits for society, fostering a thriving people, a thriving society and a thriving planet,” said Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise.

The scientific community contributes novel findings that help inform society’s pressing problems, and the future will require even more such innovative research – intentionally designed with consideration for the needs of a range of communities.

The ASU-Science Prize for Transformational Research will recognize early-career researchers whose work is designed, executed, and communicated with explicit consideration for how the research contributes to a solution in society.

“Science is delighted to be supporting a prize that highlights the connection between universities in advancing scientific excellence and valued societal outcomes,” said Valda Vinson, executive editor at Science. “We seek to recognize work that can help tackle difficult problems we face at scale.”

Early career scientists across fields are encouraged to apply. All applicants should submit an essay detailing their most important research discoveries. The Grand Prize winner will have their essay published in Science. They will also be awarded a cash prize of USD 30,000.

The deadline for submissions is 15 August. Instructions for how to apply can be found here.

About ASU

Arizona State University, ranked the No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 10 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University by operating on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students.

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