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  • Laureates
    • The current laureate
    • Past laureates
    • Subsequent Nobel Prize laureates
  • Nomination and selection
    • Nomination 2023
  • The award ceremony
    • The award ceremony 2022
    • The award ceremony 2021
    • The award ceremony 2020
    • The award ceremony 2019
    • The award ceremony 2018
    • The award ceremonies of the past
  • Marcel Benoist
    • The founder
    • The legacy
  • Create excellence!
    • “A prize for another 100 years”
    • Tax-related & legal issues
  • Foundation
    • Foundation
    • News
    • Board of Trustees
    • Patronage Committee and Friends
    • Foundation assets
    • Contact
  • Laureates
    • The current laureate
    • Past laureates
    • Subsequent Nobel Prize laureates
  • Nomination and selection
    • Nomination 2023
  • The award ceremony
    • The award ceremony 2022
    • The award ceremony 2021
    • The award ceremony 2020
    • The award ceremony 2019
    • The award ceremony 2018
    • The award ceremonies of the past
  • Marcel Benoist
    • The founder
    • The legacy
  • Create excellence!
    • “A prize for another 100 years”
    • Tax-related & legal issues
  • Foundation
    • Foundation
    • News
    • Board of Trustees
    • Patronage Committee and Friends
    • Foundation assets
    • Contact

Nomination and selection

Nomination and selection

“… the most useful scientific invention, discovery or study, of particular relevance to all aspects of human life.” In his will Marcel Benoist defined in a purpose-oriented manner, which works should be considered for the prize.

The Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist has been awarded every year since 1920. Switzerland was one of the first countries to apply relevance to human life as the main criterion for its most important scientific award. Almost 100 years on the same principle still applies for nominations and their evaluation.

Criteria

The Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist is awarded to established researchers whose work is of relevance to all aspects of human life and society. The research must be of excellent quality, as well as being original, innovative and topical. The prize winner is internationally recognised and has a proven track record.

Conditions

The Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist is not intended to promote young researchers, nor is it a lifetime achievement award. Potential prize winners are researchers with a well-established reputation and great potential. To be eligible for the award, nominees must live in Switzerland and spend at least half their time working at a Swiss research institution. The work for which the prize is awarded must have been conducted predominantly in Switzerland.

Research fields

Science in Switzerland is extremely diverse. To ensure that the prize reflects that diversity, since 2018 it is awarded alternately between the fields of humanities and social sciences, and the natural sciences and biology/medicine.

Evaluation by Swiss National Science Foundation

As of 2018 the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is responsible for evaluating all nominees and for making the final selection of award winners on behalf of the Marcel Benoist Foundation and with the support of the Confederation. To that end, the SNSF has set up an evaluation committee. Two of its members are drawn from public life, at least four are international experts with the remainder drawn from members of the National Research Council and the Marcel Benoist Foundation’s board of trustees.

Submission of nominations

Researchers and representatives of institutions of higher education, research institutions and other public or private institutions may submit their proposals via the website of the Marcel Benoist Foundation during the indicated nomination period. Self-nominations and nominations of members of the Board of Trustees of the Marcel Benoist Foundation are not permitted.

Nomination 2023

Contact

Marcel Benoist Foundation
State Secretariat for Education,
Research and Innovation SERI
Einsteinstrasse 2
CH – 3003 Bern

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