The future of scientific recognition is becoming increasingly global and democratic. As the public nomination period for the 2026 Breakthrough Prizes opens, Yuri Milner’s vision of elevating scientists to the status of cultural heroes continues to evolve and expand its international reach. For the fourteenth consecutive year, the Breakthrough Prize—renowned as the “Oscars of Science”—will honor the world’s top scientists with individual awards of $3 million in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics.
What distinguishes the 2026 cycle is the deepening partnership with the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), now in its tenth year of collaboration. This alliance represents Yuri Milner’s commitment to ensuring that scientific excellence is recognized globally, transcending national boundaries and institutional limitations.
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Democratizing Scientific Recognition
The nomination process reflects a fundamental principle of Yuri Milner’s approach to advancing science: that all of us should spend at least a little of our time thinking about deep scientific questions and all of us should recognize great scientists as heroes. Anyone, anywhere, can identify and nominate groundbreaking researchers. Nominations can be submitted online through July 11, 2025, and while self-nominations are prohibited, anyone may nominate another person. This democratic approach ensures that exceptional scientists working in diverse settings—from major research universities to smaller institutions—have equal opportunity for recognition.
This accessibility aligns perfectly with the educational vision Yuri Milner outlines in his Eureka Manifesto. Just as the manifesto advocates for broad participation in scientific advancement, the nomination process invites the global scientific community to identify and celebrate excellence wherever it emerges.
The partnership with ALLEA significantly amplifies this democratic approach. ALLEA brings together almost 60 academies from over 40 countries, with members leading scholarly inquiry across all fields of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This network ensures that European researchers, representing diverse scientific traditions and languages, are fully represented in this global initiative.
A Decade of European Partnership
For the tenth year, the Breakthrough Prize partners with ALLEA to engage the European scientific community and support the nomination process. This sustained collaboration demonstrates Yuri Milner’s commitment to international scientific cooperation—a theme that runs throughout his various initiatives.
ALLEA’s involvement reflects its ongoing commitment to recognizing scientific excellence and advancing international cooperation in research. Through this partnership, ALLEA helps ensure that the diversity and breadth of European researchers are represented in this global initiative. The federation’s extensive network of member academies serves as a crucial bridge between local scientific communities and the international recognition platform that the Breakthrough Prize provides.
This European partnership has proven particularly valuable during challenging times. In 2022, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation extended its partnership with ALLEA to support scientists and scientific institutions impacted by the war in Ukraine. The Foundation dedicated $1.5 million to ALLEA from a $3 million pledge to assist Ukrainian scientists forced to flee their homes, demonstrating how scientific networks can provide crucial support during humanitarian crises.
Celebrating Scientific Heroes Across Disciplines
The 2026 awards will recognize transformative achievements across three fundamental areas of human knowledge. In Fundamental Physics, one $3 million prize will recognize individuals who have made profound contributions to human knowledge, open to both theoretical and experimental physicists. The prize can be shared among any number of scientists, reflecting the increasingly collaborative nature of breakthrough discoveries.
Three Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences will honor individuals who have made transformative advances in comprehending living systems and extending human life. Significantly, one of these prizes is specifically designated for progress in understanding Parkinson’s disease or other neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting the Prize’s commitment to addressing humanity’s most pressing health challenges.
The Mathematics prize will recognize outstanding contributions to the field, while additional New Horizons Prizes will support early-career researchers in Physics and Mathematics. The Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes will continue to support early-career women mathematicians, addressing gender representation in scientific recognition.
Building Global Scientific Community
The selection committees for the 2026 prizes represent the international scientific elite. The Physics committee includes luminaries such as Eric Adelberger, Nima Arkani-Hamed, and Edward Witten, while the Life Sciences committee features pioneers like Jennifer Doudna, Katalin Karikó, and Shinya Yamanaka. These committees, composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates and other distinguished scientists, ensure that recognition goes to the most deserving candidates based on scientific merit alone.
This approach to selection reflects Yuri Milner’s broader philosophy of advancing science through peer recognition and community building. Just as the Breakthrough Junior Challenge encourages young people to engage with complex scientific concepts, the Prize’s selection process demonstrates how scientific excellence can be identified and celebrated by the scientific community itself.
The global reach of the nomination process, enhanced by the ALLEA partnership, ensures that outstanding researchers from diverse backgrounds and institutions have equal opportunity for recognition. This inclusivity strengthens the scientific community by acknowledging that breakthrough discoveries can emerge from unexpected sources.
Inspiring the Next Generation
The Breakthrough Prize ceremony, often called “The Oscars of Science,” serves multiple purposes beyond honoring current achievements. By bringing scientists together with Hollywood celebrities in a globally televised event, the ceremony implements one of the key strategies from Yuri Milner’s Eureka Manifesto: treating scientists as heroes and ensuring they have a public presence.
This visibility creates inspiration for future generations of scientists. When researchers see their peers celebrated on the same stage as entertainment figures, it validates the importance of scientific careers and encourages young people to pursue research. The substantial prize money—$3 million for each major award—makes a powerful statement about the value society places on scientific achievement.
The ceremony’s format and media coverage extend the impact far beyond the scientific community. By presenting complex scientific achievements in accessible, engaging ways, the event helps build public appreciation for fundamental research. This broader cultural impact aligns with Milner’s vision of creating a knowledge culture where everyone, especially the next generation, can be inspired by the big questions of science.
Technology and Innovation in Recognition
The nomination and selection process itself reflects the technological sophistication that characterizes all of Yuri Milner’s initiatives. Online submission systems, global communication networks, and digital collaboration tools enable the truly international scope of the Prize. This technological foundation ensures that geographical barriers don’t prevent exceptional scientists from being considered.
The partnership with ALLEA leverages both organizations’ digital capabilities to reach researchers throughout Europe and beyond. Member academies use their own communication channels and networks to raise awareness of nomination opportunities, creating a multiplier effect that extends the Prize’s reach far beyond traditional scientific publishing and conference circuits.
A Vision Realized Through International Cooperation
As nominations open for the 2026 Breakthrough Prizes, the continued expansion of international partnerships demonstrates the success of Yuri Milner’s vision for global scientific cooperation. The ALLEA partnership represents just one aspect of this broader commitment to ensuring that scientific excellence is recognized and celebrated wherever it emerges.
The Prize’s evolution over fourteen years reflects the changing landscape of scientific research itself. As science becomes increasingly international and collaborative, recognition systems must adapt to match this reality. The Breakthrough Prize’s global reach, democratic nomination process, and international partnerships position it as a model for how scientific achievement can be celebrated in the 21st century.
