The Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists is an international award established in 2013 through a collaboration between the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the journal Science, and SciLifeLab, a prominent Swedish research center. This prize recognizes exceptional early-career researchers in the life sciences and is co-funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, one of Europe's leading private science funders. The initiative is rooted in a commitment to bolster the global research community by encouraging promising young scientists to remain in their fields, especially in the face of a challenging economic landscape.

The prize is awarded annually to four scientists who have completed their doctoral degrees within the previous two years. It specifically honors research in life sciences across four distinct categories: Cell and Molecular Biology; Genomics, Proteomics, and Systems Biology Approaches; Ecology and Environment; and Molecular Medicine. One of the four winners is selected as the grand prize recipient and awarded $30,000 USD, while the remaining three category winners receive $10,000 USD each. The winning essays are also published, with the grand prize essay appearing in Science and the others published online.

Eligibility for the prize is open to researchers from all countries, regardless of gender or race, who earned their Ph.D. between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024. Entrants may only apply once within this time frame. The work presented must be based on the applicant’s doctoral thesis and must have been conducted during their graduate studies.

Applicants must complete an online entry form and submit a 1,000-word essay on their thesis work, which may include a figure or table. Additional materials include a one-page reference letter from an advisor or thesis committee member, an abstract of the thesis, a list of citations, awards, and professional experience. All applications must be submitted through the Science website.

The application deadline is July 15, 2025. Submissions are reviewed initially by Science editors, with three finalists chosen per category. A scientific committee chaired by the Editor-in-Chief of Science then selects one winner per category, with the grand prize winner chosen from among them. Winners are notified in October and publicly announced in November.

All four winners are invited to Sweden in December 2025 for a week of scientific and social events. These include a formal award ceremony held in Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel Hall of Mirrors, a scientific symposium at SciLifeLab, facility tours, and various social gatherings with senior researchers, editors from Science, and key sponsors. Winners may bring a guest to participate in these celebrations, adding to the honor and experience of this prestigious award.