About the Prize

Nominees(s) must hold a master’s degree, M.D., Ph.D., D.V.M., or equivalent degree. Academic, government, NGO, or non-profit sector scientists may be nominated or may self-nominate but Centers, Programs, Institutes, Universities, etc. are not eligible for the Prize. There are no geographic restrictions. HESI staff and HESI elected leadership (Board of Trustees and Emerging Issues Committee science advisors) are ineligible for the Prize.

Awardees will have demonstrated fulfillment of the criteria for the Prize; prospective programming or effort is not eligible for consideration. The work/impacts submitted for consideration for this Prize must have taken place within the last five years. The entrant must have designed, performed, and/or personally directed the work described in their application.

Awardees must be willing to give an online presentation about their work to the HESI membership.

Nominees who do not win the Prize are eligible to reapply if they meet all other eligibility requirements.

The HESI Innovation Prize recognizes exceptional scientists who share HESI’s commitment to synthesizing ideas, resources, and collaborators across scientific disciplines and sectors – and who have demonstrated particular creativity and impact in doing so. Awardees will have applied this approach to catalyze progress against the specified thematic focus (see below) in relation to one or more of the following areas that are central to HESI’s core operations: 1) safe and effective medicines, 2) food safety and security, 3) chemical and consumer product safety, and/or 4) environmental quality and sustainability. The Prize recognizes impact achieved via research, training/education, and/or programmatic approaches.

For 2021, the HESI Innovation Prize will recognize individuals who have met the Prize objectives described above so as to help reduce disproportionate health burdens in underserved populations and/or to promote greater health equity.

An unrestricted cash prize of $80,000 USD will be awarded to a single individual, who may elect to receive the prize money directly or may instruct that that the funds be paid to an institution with which they are affiliated. (If the Awardee elects for the Prize to be paid to an institution, HESI will work with the institution with the aim of ensuring that indirect costs are not deducted from the Prize funds.) In exceptional circumstances, HESI may opt to award two Prizes in a given year or split the prize if there are co-applicants.

Applications will be reviewed by the HESI Innovation Prize Review Board in relation to the objectives described above. The Prize Review Board has full and final discretion in selection of Awardees.

Awardees will be notified of their selection by August 2021 and must be willing to give an online presentation about their work to the HESI membership.