National Academies Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications

Cycle

2025 Award Winner
2024 Award Winner
2023 Award Winner
2022 Award Winner

Top Prize

Top Prize

Sofia Quaglia

Science Journalist: Early Career

Sofia Quaglia is a freelance journalist writing about all things science and how we talk about it. Her work regularly appears in New Scientist, The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian, Discover, BBC, and more. She's on a mission to visit the entire planet by spending each month in a different country, so she's been living on the road since 2021.

What This Award Means to Me
"I'm convinced that learning more about 'how we know what we know' about the world is at the basis of building a better one, so I'm extremely honored to receive the Excellence in Science Communication award for my journalism focusing on this endeavor."

Submitted work

Albert Oppong-Ansah

Science Journalist: Local/Regional

Albert Oppong-Ansah is a Ghanaian journalist with over 14 years of experience in environmental, science, and development reporting. He is the Editor at the Ghana News Agency (GNA), where he leads the Environment, Science, Energy, and Agriculture desk, coordinating nationwide coverage and mentoring reporters. Under his leadership, GNA reaches over 200,000 monthly digital readers and serves more than 150 media subscribers.

His journalism has influenced national policy, held leaders accountable, and contributed to academic research. Beyond the newsroom, Albert works as a communication consultant, producing documentaries, animations, explainer videos, and strategic communication materials for organisations including the EPA, ECOWAS, IUCN, UNFCCC RCC, and the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition.

A Wolfson Press Fellow at Cambridge, Albert holds an MPhil in Innovation Communication and has won five national journalism awards. He is passionate about using storytelling to drive sustainable development and climate action across Africa.

What This Award Means to Me
"This award recognizes my dedication to making complex scientific and environmental issues understandable and relevant to the public. It validates my purpose of elevating science reporting, inspires me to innovate in storytelling, strengthens my role as a bridge between scientists, policymakers, and citizens. Above all, it fuels my dream for headline science news in Ghana."

Submitted work

Alec Luhn

Science Journalist: Freelance

Alec Luhn is a climate journalist who’s reported for The Atlantic, the Guardian, National Geographic, New Scientist, Scientific American, VICE News and WIRED. From Alaska to Somalia, he's covered wildfires, droughts, oil spills, earthquakes, melting glaciers, a polar bear “invasion” and COP 27 and 28. He has received awards from Covering Climate Now, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the Milwaukee Press Club, as well as a Scripps environmental journalism fellowship and two Emmy nominations. Originally from Wisconsin and currently in London, he's been a mentor for the Society of Environmental Journalists and is a 2024-25 Pulitzer Center fellow reporting for Scientific American.

What This Award Means to Me
"As budgets shrink, more and more journalism is being produced by freelancers who often receive less pay and recognition. The Schmidt award is a big professional boost to freelancers like me. It's a ringing endorsement that will help me keep doing what I love, covering climate science."

Submitted work

Alex Dainis

Science Communicator: Independent

Dr. Alex Dainis is a science communicator and video producer creating content that makes science approachable, accessible, and fun. She began producing digital science education videos on YouTube in 2012 as a way to share her love of science with the world. She went on to complete a PhD in genetics in 2018, solidifying her mission to make the language of genetics accessible to everyone. She is now a full-time science communicator, creating videos that show science as not just a solution to big problems but also the most fun lens with which to view the world! Her current work with organizations including the American Chemical Society, PBS Digital Studios, and the Boston Museum of Science uses storytelling, a conversational tone, and deep scientific research to meet the needs of each unique audience and reach over a million viewers per year!

What This Award Means to Me
"I feel incredibly honored to be part of a cohort who has done so much to bring fact-based science communication to so many different audiences. Not only is this a recognition of my work, but I am grateful that my work stands alongside work from the rest of this incredible community."

Submitted work

Alex Schwartz

Science Journalist: Early Career
Alex Schwartz is an environmental journalist hailing from Central Florida. He developed a passion for the natural world at a young age and studied journalism and environmental policy at Northwestern University. His reporting — appearing in Popular Science, Atlas Obscura and Gizmodo, among others — targets the intersection of science and culture.
After graduating in 2020, Alex worked on The New York Times data graphics team tracking COVID-19 cases and deaths during the early days of the pandemic before spending two years as a Report for America corps member at the Herald and News in Klamath Falls, Oregon. There, he reported on a complex water conflict involving Indigenous tribes, farmers, ranchers, endangered fish and environmental groups in the remote Klamath Basin. With support from the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, Alex produced an extensive reported series focused on solutions to the Klamath water conflict in light of climate change.

What This Award Means to Me

"This award recognizes my dedication to making complex scientific and environmental issues understandable and relevant to the public. It validates my purpose of elevating science reporting, inspires me to innovate in storytelling, strengthens my role as a bridge between scientists, policymakers, and citizens. Above all, it fuels my dream for headline science news in Ghana."

Submitted work

Alice Lu-Culligan

Research Scientist: Graduate Student

Alice grew up on Long Island, NY and graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with a double major in Biological Sciences and Biology & Society. Following graduation, Alice was a Fulbright Scholar to Australia at the University of Melbourne where she worked with Professor Stephen J. Turner and Nobel Laureate Professor Peter C. Doherty. She earned her MD and PhD from Yale, where her graduate dissertation was conducted under the mentorship of Professor Akiko Iwasaki and focused on the impact of maternal antiviral immune responses on fetal development during pregnancy. Her interests in women’s and children’s health have driven her advocacy and public communication efforts supporting increased research and awareness of long-understudied fields such as pregnancy, menstruation, and fetal health. Alice is currently a research-track pediatrics resident in the Boston Combined Residency Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center. She lives with her husband Will, dog, cat, and baby on the way.

What This Award Means to Me
"This award is an incredible honor that recognizes the importance of ensuring our science both serves and connects to the public. It’s so energizing to become a part of this community that inherently understands the value of engaging with the messy, beautiful complexity of research to support thoughtful communication and exchange between scientists and non-scientists alike."

Submitted work

Andrea Obaid Carrion

2023 TOP AWARD WINNER
Best Science Journalist: Freelance

Andrea Obaid Carrión is a journalist from Diego Portales University in Chile. She holds a Masters in Scientific, Medical and Environmental Communication from the Pompeu Fabra University, Spain and is the President of the Chilean Association of Journalists and Professionals for Science Communication (ACHIPEC) and founder and director of the production companies Neurona Group and Endorfinas. She is the host of multiple radio series including "Tu Nuevo ADN" on ADN radio and "TXS Health" on online radio txsplus.com and the host of television series such as "Cocina Lab" and "Tecnociencia" at Chilean National Television, TVN and Channel 13 and "Chilenautas" at Amazon Prime Video, TVN and Channel 13. Obaid Carrión is also the author of three books, Kitchen Lab, eating has its science (2023), Technoscience: 30 scientific tourism routes in Chile, Part 1 and 2 (2017, 2018) and, The Scientific Routes of Panguipulli (2020), and the manager of the national environmental education campaign "Save the Earth."

What This Award Means to Me
"This award is the most important in my career since I went to Spain to specialize in 2006. It symbolizes all the work and passion that I have dedicated to scientific communication every day. And it means a lot to me that I have been awarded as a Latina."

Submitted work

Andrew Luttrell

Research Scientist: Later Career

Andrew Luttrell is a social psychologist studying people's opinions and how they change. When he's not conducting new research or teaching in the classroom, he hosts and produces the podcast "Opinion Science", which features interviews with social scientists and professional communicators about their work and what it means. With over 100 episodes, including special series on science communication and behavioral economics, the podcast reaches a global audience to share important social science research on topics ranging from polarization to prejudice to persuasion. Andrew has also produced popular YouTube videos breaking down concepts in social psychology and is an associate editor for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology's blog, Character & Context, helping academics communicate their work to the public. When he's not doing any of that, he's having fun with his wife and daughter or tinkering away in his letterpress printing studio.

What This Award Means to Me
"Research scientists are rarely encouraged to spend time on public outreach, but impactful science communication is what inspired me to pursue science and can be a tool to cultivate a new generation of diverse perspectives in science. This award is a reassuring sign that all that time was well spent!"

Submitted work

Arianna Long

Research Scientist: Graduate Student

Dr. Arianna Long is a NASA Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. She uses telescopes on the ground and in space to understand the birth and evolution of the most massive galaxies in the Universe. Dr. Long achieved her Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Mathematics from Towson University, MD, spent some time as a data analyst in the consulting industry, then returned to higher education to achieve her M.S. in Physics in the Cal State University, Los Angeles’s NASA Direct-STEM program. In 2022, she achieved a doctoral degree in physics and astronomy as a Eugene Cota Robles Fellow and Ford Foundation Fellow at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to her research, Dr. Long is a mentor and leader, having founded and led several mentoring programs to support marginalized scientists such as PACE (Physics & Astronomy Community Excellence) at University of California, Irvine and the Guerrilla Mentoring initiative at VanguardSTEM.

What This Award Means to Me
"This award reinforces the idea that scientists can and should work to effectively communicate complex topics to the public. As the first college graduate and PhD in my family, it's important to me that our community sees value in making science accessible to people from all educational backgrounds."

Submitted work

Article - Ancient Galaxy Clusters Offer Clues about the Early Universe Submitted Work
Publisher: Scientific American
Category: Research Scientist: Graduate Student; Topic(s): Space and Aeronautics

Ben Rawlence

2022 TOP AWARD WINNER
Best Science Journalist - Freelance

Ben Rawlence is a writer and educator. He has worked for the Social Science Research Council, Human Rights Watch and in politics in the UK and East Africa. His books include Radio Congo, City of Thorns and The Treeline. He is the founder and director of Black Mountains College, the world’s first college dedicated entirely to climate action and adaptation.

What This Award Means to Me
"I worked hard to integrate science from a range of disciplines into a moving story. To be recognised for that approach is simply wonderful."

Submitted work

Book - The Treeline The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth Submitted Work
Publisher: St Martins Press USA/ Vintage UK
Category: Science Journalist: Freelance; Topic(s): Earth Sciences, Environment and Environmental Studies

Ben Rein

Research Scientist: Early Career

Ben Rein, PhD is a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Robert Malenka's lab at Stanford University. He is currently studying the neural basis of empathy, and how drugs like MDMA act in the brain to enhance social connection. Outside of the lab, Ben creates educational content for an audience of ~950,000 followers on social media. Through short-form videos, Ben teaches neuroscience principles, summarizes research papers, and debunks viral posts containing misinformation. His videos have been featured on Good Morning America, and he has also been interviewed by Popular Mechanics. Ben has joined more than 30 podcasts as a guest and served as an on-air consultant for Entertainment Tonight. In addition, Ben is the Founder and President of the Aspiring Scientists Coalition, an organization providing free career guidance for students in over 75 countries.

What This Award Means to Me
"It is an incredible honor to earn this award! As an academic, sci-comm can be a somewhat thankless job, as public-facing communication efforts generally do not facilitate career advancement. This award addresses that shortcoming, recognizing countless hours of work done simply to meet the public where they are with carefully-sourced and engaging science education."

Submitted work

Bing Lin

Research Scientist: Graduate Student

Bing Lin is a conservation scientist and photojournalist exploring the intersection of nature and human nature in the Anthropocene. A postdoctoral fellow at the University of Sydney’s Thriving Oceans Research Hub, he studies coral reefs that are thriving against the odds to guide global conservation priorities. Bing earned his Ph.D. in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy from Princeton University, where his interdisciplinary research integrated ecology, policy, and behavioral science to inform lasting conservation action. An Emerging League member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a freelance science journalist, he blends rigorous reporting with narrative writing and visual storytelling to engage audiences with the shifting state of sustainability in the (un)natural world. His forthcoming book, A Sea of Fading Color (University of Chicago Press, 2028), immerses readers in the vibrant yet imperiled realm of coral reefs and the communities—near and far—that depend on them.

What This Award Means to Me
"This award affirms the power of narrative and visual storytelling in advancing conservation science. It recognizes both my efforts to bridge these disciplines and the urgent need for such work to inspire collective action—to confront what we have lost and safeguard all that we still stand to lose."

Submitted work

Brett Walton

Science Journalist: Local/Regional

Brett writes about fresh water and all of its connections for Circle of Blue, a nonprofit news outlet. He was part of the reporting team that won the 2022 U.S. Water Prize for coverage of water affordability in the Great Lakes region. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, including first place in 2016 for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States. He received the Sierra Club's Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for his journalism, and his work has been supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the National Press Foundation, the Water Desk, the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, and others. Brett lives in Seattle.

What This Award Means to Me
"I’m honored to join this group of distinguished journalists, scientists, and writers who were selected as award winners. I hope this recognition serves to broaden the audience for all of our work to highlight scientific findings that are in the public interest."

Submitted work

Brian Christian

Science Journalist: Freelance

Brian Christian is the bestselling author of three acclaimed books of nonfiction about the human implications of computer science, which have been translated into nineteen languages.

The Most Human Human was named a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and a New Yorker favorite book of the year. Algorithms to Live By, with Tom Griffiths, was named a #1 Audible bestseller, Amazon best science book of the year and MIT Technology Review best book of the year. The Alignment Problem was a Los Angeles Times Finalist for Best Science & Technology Book of the Year; The New York Times called it “the best book on the key technical and moral questions of AI.”

Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Christian holds degrees in philosophy, computer science, and poetry from Brown University and the University of Washington. A visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, he lives in San Francisco.

What This Award Means to Me
"In addition to being a tremendous personal honor, the Excellence in Science Communication award underscores the importance of the ethics and safety concerns in the field of machine learning that are the book's central focus, as well as elevating the crucial role that science communication has to play in our society as we navigate a time of profound challenges and changes."

Submitted work

Book - The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values Submitted Work
Publisher: W. W. Norton Paperback
Category: Science Journalist: Freelance; Topic(s): Behavioral and Social Sciences, Computers and Information Technology

Britt Wray

2023 TOP AWARD WINNER
Best Research Scientist: Early Career

Dr. Britt Wray is the Director of the Special Initiative of the Chair on Climate Change and Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Stanford Medicine. She is the author of two books, Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis (Knopf) and Rise of the Necrofauna: the Science, Ethics and Risks of De-Extinction (Greystone Books). Britt holds a PhD in science communication from the University of Copenhagen. She has hosted several science podcasts, radio and TV programs with the BBC, NPR, CBC, is a Canadian Screen Award winner, and is the recipient of the 2023 Canadian Eco Hero Award. Britt is the creator of Gen Dread, a popular newsletter about building courage and taking meaningful action on the far side of climate grief. As an advocate and science communicator, she has spoken at hundreds of global events including TED and the World Economic Forum.

What This Award Means to Me
"It is a dream to be recognized at this level by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and Schmidt Futures for my efforts in science communication. This award wonderfully legitimizes the centrality of science communication to our work in the new Stanford initiative on climate change and mental health. I'm so honored, thank you."

Submitted work

Brooke Jarvis

Science Journalist: Freelance

Brooke Jarvis is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and a writer for Wired, The New Yorker and elsewhere. She's at work on a book about insects.

What This Award Means to Me
"Not many journalism awards or fellowships are designed to support freelancers or people on local beats. I think this program fills an important gap in sustaining the important work of science journalism."

Submitted work

Article - What Can Covid-19 Teach Us About the Mysteries of Smell Submitted Work
Publisher: The New York Times
Category: Science Journalist: Freelance; Topic(s): Health and Medicine

C. Brandon Ogbunu

Research Scientist: Later Career

Brandon Ogbunu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University, and an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. He is a computational biologist whose research investigates complex problems in epidemiology, genetics, and evolution. His work utilizes a range of methods, from experimental evolution, to biochemistry, and applied mathematics, all towards a refined understanding of complex systems and disease phenomena. In addition, he runs a parallel research program at the intersection of science, society, and culture. In this capacity, he been a regular contributor to Undark, WIRED, Scientific American, and several other publications.

What This Award Means to Me
"This award is an enormous triumph. I've never before had my work at the intersection of science and society formally acknowledged in this manner, and it serves as a profound boost to my interest in growing this area of my professional and intellectual identity."

Submitted work

Calli McMurray

2025 TOP AWARD WINNER
Best Science Journalist - Early Career

Calli McMurray is a reporter at The Transmitter, where she covers neuroscience, research integrity and the structural and regulatory issues that affect the scientific world. Before joining The Transmitter in 2024, she interned at The Chronicle of Higher Education, where she won the 2024 David W. Miller Award for Young Journalists. Her work has also appeared in STAT, The Texas Observer, KFF Health News and elsewhere. She has a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University.

What This Award Means to Me
"I’m honored to receive this award. It’s deeply validating to know that the often less-glamorous stories about scientific infrastructure are valued, and that my colleagues agree they are worth telling. I look forward to telling many more."

Submitted work

Applications Were Accepted March 2, 2026 - April 3, 2026

These $20,000 and $40,000 awards, given by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in partnership with Schmidt Sciences, honor exceptional science communicators, journalists, and research scientists who have developed creative, original work in 2025 that makes science, engineering, and/or medicine accessible and engaging for general audiences. In total, 24 awards will be given, totaling $640,000.

Entries were accepted in the following subcategories:

9 Awards for Research Scientists will focus on three subcategories: graduate student researchers, early-career researchers , and later-career researchers.
9 Awards for Science Journalists will focus on three subcategories: local/regional journalists, early-career journalists, and freelance journalists.
6 Awards for Science Communicators will focus on two subcategories: independent communicators and organizational communicators.

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