Frontiers Planet Prize, second edition: celebrating the world’s most innovative sustainability scientists by 1 November

The International Science Council is proud to partner for the second year with the Frontiers Planet Prize in recognizing and rewarding exceptional scientists working in sustainability science.

Frontiers Research Foundation has launched the Planet Prize to recognize and reward exceptional scientists. Three prizes worth a total of CHF 3 million (~USD $3.2m) will be awarded in this second edition, to the world’s most innovative sustainability scientists who are able to offer globally scalable solutions which protect and restore planetary health. All domains of science will be considered.

FAQs

1. What is the Frontiers Planet Prize?

The Frontiers Planet Prize is a global competition for scientists and research institutions to propose solutions to help the planet remain within the safe operating space of any one or more of the 9 planetary boundaries. Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation on Earth Day 2022, the prize aims to mobilize nations and the global community of scientists conducting research on earth system science.

2. What are the mechanics of the Prize?

Scientists who wish to participate in the prize do so through their research institution or university who act as a National Nominating Body (NNB). NNBs consider each application and send up to three nominations to the country’s national academy of science, which acts as a National Representative Body (NRB).

The NRBs then shortlist three nominations to represent the country which are sent to the Jury of 100. The Jury of 100 selects a National Champion per participating country, and from this cohort, three International Champions, each of whom wins 1 million Swiss Francs to advance their important breakthrough research, through their institution.

3. What are the criteria?

The Planet Prize will honour research published in established peer-reviewed scientific journals in the past two calendar years (date of acceptance: 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2023) that has the greatest potential to help keep the Earth system within planetary boundaries. All submitted research must be in English.

All submitted research must advance an understanding and offer solutions that address at least one of the nine planetary boundaries, and have the potential for measurable global impact.

4. How is the ISC involved?

The ISC comes in as a partner widening the visibility of the prize, to ensure all relevant members of the ISC can participate. Also, the ISC comes in as a partner facilitating nominations from institutions in regions and countries who do not yet have a National Representative Body in place for the Prize. NNBs who wish to learn more details about the ISC submission process are invited to write to Gabriela Ivan, ISC Membership Development Officer, at gabriela.ivan@council.science.

5. Who selects the National and International Champions?

A Jury of 100 leading sustainability scientists, chaired by Johan Rockstrom forms the final voting panel. The Jury acts completely independently from the Foundation, National Nominating and National Representative Bodies.

The Nine Planetary Boundaries

The submitted research must offer solutions addressing at least one of nine planetary boundaries and have the potential for measurable global impact. Sustainability scientists have identified nine planetary boundaries that we cannot cross without risking the collapse of life on Earth as we know it. Johan Rockström and Owen Gaffney have described these boundaries in their book Breaking Boundaries, as well as on the website of the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Action is needed now to prevent us from crossing these boundaries and, where we have already transgressed them, to guide a safe and just transformation of the world back to within Planetary Boundaries.