The 20 finalists – known as National Champions – of the first Frontiers Planet Prize have been announced. The Prize is a global competition that recognizes and rewards scientists whose research contributes to securing the future of the planet within the framework of Professor Johan Rockström’s nine planetary boundaries.

The 1st edition of the prize was launched on the 22nd of April 2022 (Earth Day) by the Frontiers Research Foundation, a non-profit organization established in Lausanne, Switzerland; whose mission is to accelerate scientific solutions to live healthy lives on a healthy planet. 

Endorsed by the International Science Council in its search for the most impactful research breakthroughs, the first edition engaged 233 universities across six continents, 13 national academies of science, and an independently run jury of 100 sustainability experts, chaired by Professor Johan Rockström.

On Earth Day, 22nd April of 2023, the 20 National Champions were announced. The winners, known as the International Champions, will be announced on 27th April. The 20 finalists for the 2023 Frontiers Planet Prize edition are: 

• Prof Peter Macreadie from Deakin University (Australia)
• Prof Pierre Coheur from Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) 
• Prof Ricardo Rodrigues from University of São Paulo (Brazil) 
• Prof Marie-Josée Fortin from University of Toronto (Canada) 
• Prof Baojing Gu from Zhejiang University (China) 
• Prof Klement Tockner from Senckenberg Society for Nature Research and Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) 
• Dr Gábor Szatmári from Institute for Soil Sciences and Centre for Agricultural Research (Hungary)
• Prof Jonathan Belmaker from Tel Aviv University (Israel) 
• Prof Andrea Castelletti from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) 
• Prof Jian Feng Ma from Okayama University (Japan)
• Dr Paul Behrens from Leiden University (Netherlands) 
• Prof Bartosz Grzybowski from Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)
• Prof Lian Pin Koh from National University of Singapore (Singapore) 
• Prof Mark New from University of Cape Town (South Africa) 
• Prof Soon-Il An from Yonsei University (South Korea)
• Prof Luis Guanter from Universitat Polytechnic de València (Spain) 
• Prof Maria Nilsson from Umeå University (Sweden)
• Prof Bernhard Schmid from University of Zurich (Switzerland)
• Prof Carlos Peres from University of East Anglia (United Kingdom) 
• Prof Edward Kolodziej from University of Washington (United States)

The International Champions will receive a prize of one million Swiss francs each to accelerate their research, and all champions will participate in relevant national and international conferences organized by Frontiers Planet Prize partners. All 20 National Champions are invited to the Frontiers Forum Live in Montreux, Switzerland – an event that will also welcome the following keynote speakers: 

• Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General, United Nations (South Korea)
• Al Gore, Vice President and Nobel Laureate (USA)
• Jane Goodall, Founder, Jane Goodall Institute (USA) 
• Seth Berkley, Chief Executive Officer, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Switzerland)
• Prof Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Germany) 
• Yuval Noah Harari, historian and author, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
• Britt Wray, Lead, Special Initiatives, Climate & Mental Health, Stanford University (USA)
• Kevin Esvelt, Associate Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)
• Laurent Wehrli, Member of the National Council of Switzerland (Switzerland)

Earth Day, 22nd of April 2023, will also represent the launch of the second edition of the competition. This second edition will seek to increase the participation of scientists, research institutions and national academies across the globe, with the goal to continue mobilizing the scientific community for solutions to keep us within the boundaries of our planet’s ecosystem.

For more information:
Website: www.frontiersplanetprize.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontiers-planet-prize/

Learn about the Jury of 100.
Learn about the recognition.
Learn about the process.