Young Immigrants Advancing Biomedical Science Eligible for $50,000 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise

Calling all biomedical scientists working in biochemistry, bioengineering, bioinformatics, biophysics, cancer research, cell biology, chemical biology, computational biology, developmental biology, endocrinology, epidemiology, human disease, immunology, infectious diseases, microbiology, neuroscience, physiology, stem cell research, or virology!

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Vilcek Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2027 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science through May 4, 2026. These $50,000 cash awards are given each year to three young immigrant scientists living in the United States who have demonstrated outstanding early achievement in their field. 

“The Vilcek Foundation is one of the few organizations that values both scientific excellence and the immigrant story,” says Berna Sozen, Assistant Professor of Genetics at Yale School of Medicine. “By winning the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science, it felt like I received a rare opportunity to bring my full self—my science and my journey— into one narrative. It’s a full-circle moment: The journey that once made things harder is now seen as a strength.”

The Vilcek Foundation annually awards prizes that celebrate immigrants and leaders for their contributions to art, culture, and science in the United States. As part of this initiative, the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science are awarded to recognize a wide array of groundbreaking research. Past prizewinners include Feng Zhang, for his role in the development of the gene editing software, CRISPR; Markita del Carpio Landry for her breakthroughs in gene-editing technologies that can be utilized in agriculture and the development of biologic drugs; and Gerta Hoxhaj for mapping the molecular links between signaling pathways and metabolic networks of cancer cells.

“Our country has been the world leader in biomedical research for decades,” says Rick Kinsel, President of the Vilcek Foundation. “The U.S. has been at the forefront in the development of innovative treatments and novel vaccines, as well as in broadening our understanding of our physical selves. This could not have been possible without the many immigrants who chose to make their home here, and now, more than ever, it is vital that we support the careers of these foreign-born scientists, whose work transcends nationality and borders.”

Eligible applicants must be 38 years old or younger, and have lived in the United States for a total of at least four years. Additionally, applicants must have earned a doctoral degree, hold a full-time tenure-track position at an academic institution or other organization, have co-authored at least one publication, and have at least one publication as corresponding author.

All applications will be reviewed after May 4, 2026, at 5 pm EST. Prizewinners will be selected based on the rigor and impact of their work in relevant scientific research by a jury of biomedical science experts. Recipients will each receive an unrestricted cash award of $50,000, a commemorative trophy, and will be nationally promoted by the Vilcek Foundation.

Interested applicants can apply and learn more about the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science through the Vilcek Foundation website. All questions about the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise or the application process can be sent to [e-mail].

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences more broadly. Since it was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, the foundation has awarded over $17 million in prizes and grants in support of this mission.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRC Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org.

Contact
Shelby Roller
The Vilcek Foundation
212-472-2500
[e-mail]

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SOURCE The Vilcek Foundation