Kaizo hired to launch Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in UK

US awards programme commits to multi-year investment in UK science, in excess of £10 million

Kaizo has been hired by the New York Academy of Sciences UK to  launch the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, a US-based awards programme established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007,in the  United Kingdom. The awards coming to the UK will bring over £10 million of inward investment to the UK scientific community.

The awards, administered by the New York Academy of Sciences, recognise outstanding young scientists and engineers in three subject categories: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and Chemistry.  They provide support to scientists and engineers early in their careers, when additional funding and recognition have the greatest impact on a young scientist’s work. Over the past decade, over $4 million has been awarded to 125 scientists in the US.

The UK awards will recognise faculty-rank scientists from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England under the age of 42. Three winners (one in each category) will receive $100,000 each in unrestricted funds; two finalists in each category will receive $30,000 each. The awards provide one of the largest unrestricted cash prizes on offer for any UK scientist.

About the awards, Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson, said:

“The Blavatnik Awards are an excellent example of the importance of investing in our young scientists and their pioneering work that will benefit millions around the world.”

Rhodri Harries, Managing Director of Kaizo said:

“We are honoured to have been brought on board by the New York Academy of Sciences to launch such a prestigious programme here. We are working closely with the Academy, with Government, with Universities and the wider UK science community to shine a spotlight on the awards and encourage as many quality entries as possible from across the whole of the UK.”