VinFuture Prize
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| VinFuture Prize | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Scientific discoveries and technological innovations |
| Country | Vietnam |
| Presented by | The VinFuture Foundation |
| Reward(s) | The VinFuture Grand Prize with award money of 70 billion VND, approx. 3 million US$, and three special prizes for Women Innovators, Innovators from Developing Countries, and Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields. with the value of 500,000 US$ each (2021) |
| First award | 2021 |
| Website | vinfutureprize |
The VinFuture Prize is an international award established in Vietnam in 2020 to recognize achievements in science and technology. It is presented annually by the VinFuture Foundation. According to the Foundation, the prize aims to support research with the potential to address global challenges in areas such as health, sustainability, and technology.
Establishment
[edit]Since 2017, Vietnam has worked to integrate a more comprehensive STEM education and encourage more individuals to pursue careers in the area. With an influx of STEM students in higher education and internationally trained professionals, Vietnam has increased its emphasis on STEM education, leading to a growing number of trained professionals in the field. Vietnam was widely praised for its efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2]
However, scientific research and development in Vietnam continue to encounter various obstacles, including a lack of funds, support, and infrastructure. Vingroup established the VinFuture Foundation in 2020 to support STEM research and global scientific collaboration.[citation needed]
Founders
[edit]Phạm Nhật Vượng, the founder of Vingroup, and his wife Phạm Thu Hương established the VinFuture Foundation in 2020. The organization operates as an independent, non-profit entity with the stated mission of recognizing significant innovations in science and technology.
In the same year, they launched the VinFuture Prize, an international award intended to acknowledge contributions in fields such as health, environment, and artificial intelligence. The prize aims to support research addressing global challenges and is open to nominations worldwide.
Prize Council
[edit]The Prize Council oversees the evaluation and selection process for the VinFuture Prize, including setting award criteria and choosing Laureates.
The council comprises internationally renowned experts and is chaired by Prof. Sir Richard Henry Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge. In a 2024 interview, he noted that the fourth season received nearly 1,500 nominations from over 80 countries, reflecting the prize's growing global profile. [3]
Members
[edit]- Prof. Pascale Cossart, FRS (Pasteur Institute, Paris, France)
- Prof. Van-Chi Dang (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research & Johns Hopkins University, United States)
- Prof. Soumitra Dutta (University of Oxford, United Kingdom)
- Prof. Martin Andrew Green (University of New South Wales, Australia)
- Prof. Daniel Kammen (University of California, Berkeley, United States)
- Prof. Sir Konstantin (Kostya) S. Novoselov, FRS (University of Manchester, United Kingdom; National University of Singapore, Singapore; 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics)
- Prof. Pamela Ronald (University of California, Davis, United States)
- Prof. Daniela Rus (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States)
- Prof. Leslie Gabriel Valiant, FRS (Harvard University, United States)
Honorary members
[edit]Honorary members recognized for strategic advisory roles include:[4]
- Prof. Susan Solomon
- Dr. Xuedong Huang
- Dr. Padmanabhan Anandan
- Prof. Jennifer Tour Chayes
- Prof. Gérard Albert Mourou
- Prof. Micheal Eugene Porter
- Prof. Ha-Van Vu
The VinFuture Prize Pre-Screening Committee
[edit]The Pre-Screening Committee is responsible for reviewing and identifying qualified nominations in accordance with the selection criteria set by the Prize Council, and preparing and presenting supporting documents for the shortlist to the Prize Council.[5]
Members
[edit]- Prof. Thuc-Quyen Nguyen (University of California, Santa Barbara, United States)
- Prof. Ngoc-Minh Do (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States; VinUniversity, Vietnam)
- Prof. Ana Belén Elgoyhen (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
- Dr. Filippo Giorgi (Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy)
- Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, FRS (Center for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa - CAPRISA, South Africa)
- Prof. Ermias Kebreab (University of California, Davis, United States)
- Dr. Jayshree Seth (3M, Minnesota, United States)
- Prof. Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter (University of Würzburg, Germany)
- Prof. Fiona Watt (European Molecular Biology Organization - EMBO, Germany)
- Prof. Vivian Yam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PRC)
Honorary members
[edit]- Prof. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
- Prof. Mônica Alonso Cotta
- Prof. Alta Schutte
- Prof. Albert P. Pisano
- Prof. Myles Allen
- Mr. Akihisa Kakimoto
- Prof. Duc-Thu Nguyen
- Prof. Molly Shoichet
- Mr. Truong Quoc Hung
- Prof. Trac D. Tran
- Dr. Bui Hai Hung
Award process
[edit]Nomination
[edit]Nominations are compiled and qualified by the VinFuture Prize Secretariat before the Pre-screening Round, which includes scientists in natural science, health science, agriculture, earth science, environmental science, computer science, and engineering – technology, along with experts in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, biotechnology, new materials, environmental conservation, and other fields.
The nominations are evaluated by the VinFuture Prize Pre-screening Committee, based on three core criteria:
- Scientific and technological advancement
- Meaningful changes in people's lives
- Scale of impact and sustainability.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, must be adhered to by the candidates.[6][7]
Selection
[edit]Four scientific discoveries that improve human lives and enhance equitability and sustainability for future generations are selected by the VinFuture Prize Council. A Grand Prize and three special prizes are awarded annually. The prize winners are announced at the VinFuture Prize Award Ceremony.[8] The Grand Prize awards $3 million in funding, and the special prizes award $500,000 in funding each based on the following criteria:[9]
- Special Prize for an excellent researcher or innovator from a developing-nation institute.
- Special Prize for an outstanding female researcher or innovator.
- Special Prize for groundbreaking discovery or invention in an emerging field of science or technology that has the potential to make a substantial beneficial impact on mankind in the future.
Award ceremony
[edit]The VinFuture Sci-Tech Week and Award Ceremony are held annually, aiming to foster connections between Vietnam's scientific and technological community, and the global community.[10][11]
The Sci-Tech Week
[edit]The VinFuture Sci-Tech Week brings together scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs from around the world. Scientists will gather in Vietnam to participate in the four main events of the VinFuture Sci-Tech Week: a conversation with the Prize Council and Pre-screening Committee, a "Science for Life" Symposium, the inaugural VinFuture Award Ceremony, and a Scientific Dialogue with the inaugural VinFuture Prize Laureates.[10]
The VinFuture Award Ceremony
[edit]The VinFuture Award Ceremony will be a formal event attended by Vietnamese government leaders, scientists, and recipients of scientific honors such as the Nobel Prize, Millennium Technology Prize, Turing Award, and others. The Award Ceremony will be broadcast live on local as well as global science and technology platforms.[10]
Laureates
[edit]| Year | Ceremony Date | Prize name | Laureate | Nationality | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20 January 2022 | Grand Prize | Katalin Karikó |  Hungary United States
|
for making a significant contribution to the development of mRNA vaccination technology.[12][13] |
| Drew Weissman | United States
| ||||
| Pieter Cullis |  Canada
| ||||
| Woman Innovator | Zhenan Bao | United States |
for research on electronic skins that can stretch and heal like normal skins while also being biodegradable.[12][13] | ||
| Innovators from Developing Countries | Salim Abdool Karim |  South Africa
|
for the development of a tenofovir gel that can be used to prevent HIV infection in women.[12][13] | ||
| Quarraisha Abdool Karim | |||||
| Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Field | Omar M. Yaghi | United States |
for designing and synthesizing new types of reticular compounds such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), and covalent organic frameworks (COFs).[12][13] | ||
| 2022 | 20 December 2022 | Grand Prize | Tim Berners-Lee |  United Kingdom
|
for ground-breaking research on global network technology, allowing all forms of information to be reliably communicated, transferred, and shared at the speed of light.[14] |
| Vint Cerf | United States
| ||||
| Emmanuel Desurvire |  France
| ||||
| Bob Kahn | United States
| ||||
| David N. Payne | United Kingdom
| ||||
| Woman Innovator | Pamela Ronald | United States |
for breakthroughs in isolating the Sub1A gene, which facilitated the development of submergence tolerant rice varieties, helping feed millions of people in South and Southeast Asia.[14] | ||
| Innovators from Developing Countries | Thalappil Pradeep |  India |
for development of a low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater, helping hundreds of millions of people around the world living with contaminated water get access to clean water.[14] | ||
| Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Field | Demis Hassabis | United Kingdom
|
for pioneering work on AlphaFold 2, an artificial intelligence program that has revolutionized the modeling of protein structures, accelerating advances in biomedicine, health, and agriculture.[14] | ||
| John Jumper | |||||
| 2023 | 20 December 2023 | Grand Prize | Martin Green |  Australia
|
for revolutionary innovations that contribute to establishing a sustainable foundation for green energy by utilizing solar cells for production and Lithium-ion batteries for storage.[15][16] |
| M. Stanley Whittingham | United States
| ||||
| Rachid Yazami |  Morocco
| ||||
| Akira Yoshino |  Japan
| ||||
| Woman Innovator | Susan Solomon | United States |
for uncovering the mechanism of ozone depletion in Antarctica, which played a key role in the development of the Montreal Protocol.[15][16] | ||
| Innovators from Developing Countries | Gurdev Khush | United States
|
for their noteworthy efforts in developing and promoting disease-resistant rice varieties, such as IR36 and IR64, thereby safeguarding global food security.[15][16] | ||
| Võ Tòng Xuân |  Vietnam
| ||||
| Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Field | Daniel J. Drucker | Canada
|
for identifying the function of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), leading to the development of widely utilized treatments for diabetes and obesity, and fostering new applications for addressing neurodegenerative diseases.[15][16] | ||
| Joel Habener | United States
| ||||
| Svetlana Mojsov | |||||
| Jens Juul Holst |  Denmark
| ||||
| 2024 | 6 December 2024 | Grand Prize | Yoshua Bengio | Canada
|
For transformational contributions to the advancement of deep learning. |
| Geoffrey Hinton | |||||
| Jensen Huang | United States
| ||||
| Yann LeCun | |||||
| Fei-Fei Li | |||||
| Woman Innovator | Kristi Anseth | United States |
For advancement in design of polymeric biomaterials and methods for biomedical applications. | ||
| Innovators from Developing Countries | Firdausi Qadri |  Bangladesh
|
For innovative improvement of oral cholera vaccination in developing countries. | ||
| Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Field | Zelig Eshhar |  Israel
|
For development of CAR T cell therapy for cancer and other diseases. | ||
| Carl H. June | United States
| ||||
| Michel Sadelain |
Reception
[edit]The nominations have received praise from Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend, Chairman of the VinFuture Prize Council and the Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge.[17]
Nobel Laureate Sir Konstantin Novoselov has commented on its "promotion of diversity and inclusion in the global scientific community".[18]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Ivic, Sanja (September 2020). "Vietnam's Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak". Asian Bioethics Review. 12 (3): 341–347. doi:10.1007/s41649-020-00134-2. ISSN 1793-9453. PMC 7348105. PMID 32837558.
- ^ Black, George (24 April 2020). "Vietnam May Have the Most Effective Response to Covid-19". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ Davis, Will (26 October 2024). "Prof. Sir Richard Henry Friend: Upcoming VinFuture Prize laureates to bring delightful surprises". TechNode Global.
- ^ "Prize Council Members". VinFuture Prize. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "The VinFuture Prize Pre-Screening Committee".
- ^ "VinFuture Award Ceremony Week – A gathering of global science quintessences". Taiwan News. 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Funding the Future". CNBC. 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Inaugural VinFuture Prize Award Ceremony – Celebrating 4 Scientific Innovations For Humanity". VinFuture Prize Foundation. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021.
- ^ Racoma, J. Angelo (21 December 2020). "Vietnamese billionaire launches VinFuture Prize to support R&D and tech innovations, pledges $4.5M annual funding". TechNode Global.
- ^ a b c "VinFuture Award Ceremony Week – A Gathering Of Global Science Quintessences". VinFuture. 12 January 2022.
- ^ Las, Danny (4 May 2021). "Promoting breakthrough scientific research and technological innovations [Q&A with Vingroup's Dr. Le Mai Lan]". Tech Node.
- ^ a b c d "Vietnam awards $3 mln prize to mRNA vaccine researchers". VnExpress. 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Three scientists with mRNA vaccine technology receive the $3 million VinFuture prize". Tuổi Trẻ (in Vietnamese). 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Winners of the Second Ever VinFuture Prize Awards Unveiled". VinFuture Foundation. Cision US Inc. Cision PR Newswire. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "VinFuture Prize 2023 honours 4 scientists". VietNamNet. 21 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d Nhu, Quynh (21 December 2023). "Battery researchers win $3M Vietnamese awards". VnExpress.
- ^ "'Really interesting and exciting nominations' in inaugural year: VinFuture Prize Council Chair".
- ^ "Nobel Prize winner Sir Kostya Novoselov: "VinFuture Prize will contribute to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the global scientific community"". The Statesman. 16 September 2021.
External links
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