Frontiers Planet Prize to Accelerate Scientific Solutions for Healthy Lives on a Healthy Planet

Type

Announcement
Based on Science
Feature Story
Impact Story
Media Advisory
Media Tipsheet
News Release
Perspectives
Program News
Statement

Topic

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Subtopics
1. Agricultural Chemicals
2. Animal Health and Welfare
3. Conservation
4. Crop Management
5. Decarbonization
6. Energy Demand and Use
7. Energy Sources and Renewables
8. Environmental Monitoring
9. Fisheries Management
10. Food Production
11. Food Safety
12. Forest Management
13. Fuel
14. Land Management
15. Minerals
16. Ocean Management
17. Plant Diseases and Pests
18. Soil Management
Data and Statistics

Subtopics
1. Data Analytics
2. Data Collection
3. Data Infrastructure
4. Data Privacy
5. Demographics
6. National Statistics
7. Statistical Analysis
Economy and Workforce

Subtopics
1. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
2. Business Partnerships
3. Commercialization
4. Economic Development
5. Economic Policy
6. Labor Economics
7. Organizational Leadership
8. Professional Development
9. Workforce Development
Education

Subtopics
1. Academic Standards and Testing
2. Athletics and Physical Activity
3. Educational Administration
4. English Language Learning
5. Higher Education
6. Pre-K to Grade 12 Education
7. School Safety
8. Teacher Development
9. Technical Education
Engineering

Subtopics
1. Automation
2. Biotechnology
3. Manufacturing Technologies
4. Mining and Energy Extraction
5. Nanotechnology
6. Plastics
7. Safety Critical Systems
Environment and Biology

Subtopics
1. Aquatic Ecosystems
2. Climate Change
3. Environmental DNA
4. Evolution and Geologic History
5. Genetics
6. Glaciers, Ice Sheets, and Sea Levels
7. Hazards, Disasters, and Extreme Events
8. Microorganisms and Microbiomes
9. Pollinators and Insects
10. Pollution
11. Terrestrial Ecosystems
12. Weather
13. Wildlife
Health and Medicine

Subtopics
1. Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition
2. Diseases and Conditions
3. Health Care
4. Medical Technology
5. Pharmaceuticals
6. Public Health
Information Technology

Subtopics
1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Communications Infrastructure
3. Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things
4. Cybersecurity
5. Digital Apps and Services
6. Digital Models
7. Digital Transformation
8. Hardware Development
9. High-Performance Computing
10. Human–Computer Interaction
11. Quantum Computing
12. Software Development
Infrastructure and the Built Environment

Subtopics
1. Accessible Infrastructure
2. Bridges, Roads, and Highways
3. Buildings
4. Design and Construction
5. Energy Generation, Transmission, and Distribution
6. Environmental Health and Safety
7. Infrastructure Asset Maintenance
8. Maritime Infrastructure
9. Pipelines and Tank Farms
10. Property and Real Estate
11. Rural Development
12. Urban Planning
13. Waste Management and Recycling
14. Water and Wastewater Utilities
Law, Society, and Justice

Subtopics
1. Abuse and Harassment
2. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
3. Children and Youth in Care
4. Community Engagement
5. Community Resilience and Sustainability
6. Crime and Policing
7. Criminal Justice System
8. Displaced Persons
9. Elections and Voting
10. Ethics
11. Food Security
12. Gender and Identity
13. Globalization
14. Housing and Homelessness
15. Human and Civil Rights
16. Humanitarian Aid
17. Immigration
18. Law and Justice
19. Military and Veterans
20. Misinformation
21. Poverty and Economic Mobility
22. Racism and Discrimination
23. Rural Communities
Legislation and Policy

Subtopics
1. Executive Order Analysis
2. Legal Research
3. Legislation Analysis
4. Policy Analysis
5. Provision Analysis
Research and Standards

Subtopics
1. Community-Based Research
2. Emerging Technologies
3. Innovation
4. Intellectual Property
5. Open Science
6. Research
7. Science Communication
8. Science Funding
9. Scientific Integrity
Space, Security, and Conflicts

Subtopics
1. Military and Defense
2. Security
3. Space
Transportation

Subtopics
1. Air Transportation
2. Freight and Supply Chain
3. Maritime Transportation
4. Public Transportation
5. Rail Transport
6. Road Transportation
7. Sustainable Transportation
8. Traffic Management and Road Safety
9. Transportation Planning
10. Vehicles
11. Vulnerable Road Users
12. Winter Maintenance

Frontiers Planet Prize – 5th Edition Now Open

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are pleased to announce that the 5th edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize is now open. Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation, the Prize awards three USD $1 million grants recognizing breakthrough research that advances healthy lives on a healthy planet. U.S. universities and research institutions that have not yet participated are invited to register as National Nominating Bodies by September 15, 2026 at 5:00 pm EDT. Registration enables institutions to nominate eligible peer-reviewed research published between November 1, 2024 and October 30, 2026, with nominations due by October 30, 2026 at 5:00 pm EDT. Learn more and register at registration.frontiersfoundation.org/registration/nnb.

Winner Announcement - Celebrating the 2025 International Champions of the Frontiers Planet Prize

The U.S. National Champion, Dr. Zia Mehrabi, University of Colorado Boulder, has been announced as one of three groundbreaking International Champions of the 2025 Frontiers Planet Prize. All three scientists have been awarded 1 million USD each to accelerate their breakthrough research.

Event - Webinar on the 4th Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize: Advancing Global Scientific Solutions

Join us for a webinar introducing the 4th edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize, a prestigious award recognizing groundbreaking research that drives transformative change and sustainable solutions for the planet. The session will provide an overview of the prize’s purpose, eligibility criteria, and how it supports scientists working on impactful sustainability challenges. More details are upcoming.

Learn More

Winner Announcement - Dr. Zia Mehrabi, U.S. National Winner, is one of the International Champions for the 3rd Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences served as the National Representative Body for the U.S. for the third edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize. As the National Representative Body, NAS collated nominations received from leading academic institutions from the U.S., formed a panel to review the U.S.-based submissions, and recommended the selection of the U.S. nominees for the Prize. An international jury of 100 sustainability experts evaluated the finalists and ultimately selected Dr. Mehrabi as the U.S. National Champion for his and team's winning article: “Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture” (Science, 2024). His designation was announced on April 22, 2025, as part of a global reveal of 19 National Champions representing 19 countries. Dr. Mehrabi now advances to the final stage of the competition, where International Winner(s) – each to be awarded 1 million USD – will be selected during the Frontiers Planet Prize Award Ceremony at the Villars Symposium 2025 in June. Dr. Zia Mehrabi of the University of Colorado Boulder leads the Better Planet Laboratory, and for the Frontiers Planet Prize, Zia is the representative of a global network of researchers assessing the benefits of diversification for transformation in food systems. Their study united grassroots collaborations among hundreds of researchers and thousands of farmers, providing the first-ever cross-continental, multi-farming system, and culturally contextual evidence from real food systems that this approach works. It provides a clear pathways for bringing farming systems within planetary boundaries, reducing environmental pollution, land use, biodiversity loss, and disruption of biogeochemical flows. Additionally, it supports feeding people and improving livelihoods, meeting these boundaries in a just manner. This represents a significant, tangible, and policy-relevant solution towards achieving just and safe planetary boundaries globally. Congratulations to Dr. Mehrabi on this prestigious achievement. We look forward to celebrating further success as the competition progresses. Photo credit: Natascha Mehrabi

Winner Announcement - Dr. Jason Rohr, U.S. National Winner, is one of the International Champions for the 2nd Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences served as the National Representative Body for the second edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize. As the U.S. National Representative Body, NAS collated nominations from leading academic institutions from the U.S., formed a panel to review the U.S.-based submissions, and recommended the selection of the U.S. nominees for the Prize. The 23 national champions, including the U.S. national champion, were announced on Earth Day 2024. The second edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize engaged with over 20 national academies of science and 475 leading universities and research institutions from 43 countries. An independently run jury of 100 sustainability experts will select the International Winner(s), announced during Frontiers Planet Prize Award Ceremony taking place this summer during the Villars Symposium 2024 in June. The U.S. national champion is Dr. Jason Rohr of the University of Notre Dame and his research team for research on the effects of environmental change on human and ecosystem health and profitable and scalable win-win solutions for environmental sustainability.

Frontiers Planet Prize – 5th Edition Now Open

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are pleased to announce that the 5th edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize is now open. Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation, the Prize awards three USD $1 million grants recognizing breakthrough research that advances healthy lives on a healthy planet. U.S. universities and research institutions that have not yet participated are invited to register as National Nominating Bodies by September 15, 2026 at 5:00 pm EDT. Registration enables institutions to nominate eligible peer-reviewed research published between November 1, 2024 and October 30, 2026, with nominations due by October 30, 2026 at 5:00 pm EDT. Learn more and register at registration.frontiersfoundation.org/registration/nnb.

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Frontiers Planet Prize to Accelerate Scientific Solutions for Healthy Lives on a Healthy Planet

News and updates

News and updates

Frontiers Planet Prize Names 25 National Champions for 2026

Frontiers Planet Prize – 5th Edition Now Open

Winner Announcement - Celebrating the 2025 International Champions of the Frontiers Planet Prize

U.S. National Recipient of Frontiers Plant Prize Honored at Recent Event

Event - Webinar on the 4th Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize: Advancing Global Scientific Solutions

Winner Announcement - Dr. Zia Mehrabi, U.S. National Winner, is one of the International Champions for the 3rd Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize

Winner of the 2024 Frontiers Planet Prize Discusses His Research in Sustainability Science

Winner Announcement - Dr. Jason Rohr, U.S. National Winner, is one of the International Champions for the 2nd Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize

My Academies

Frontiers Planet Prize to Accelerate Scientific Solutions for Healthy Lives on a Healthy Planet

News and updates

News and updates

Dropdown items

Frontiers Planet Prize Names 25 National Champions for 2026

Frontiers Planet Prize – 5th Edition Now Open

Winner Announcement - Celebrating the 2025 International Champions of the Frontiers Planet Prize

U.S. National Recipient of Frontiers Plant Prize Honored at Recent Event

Event - Webinar on the 4th Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize: Advancing Global Scientific Solutions

Winner Announcement - Dr. Zia Mehrabi, U.S. National Winner, is one of the International Champions for the 3rd Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize

Winner of the 2024 Frontiers Planet Prize Discusses His Research in Sustainability Science

Winner Announcement - Dr. Jason Rohr, U.S. National Winner, is one of the International Champions for the 2nd Edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize