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The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications

Overview

Inspiring a new generation of journalists, researchers, and creators to engage the public with complex ideas in STEM, and to encourage continuing excellence in the field

The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication, given by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in partnership with Schmidt Sciences, aim to recognize excellence in science communication by Research Scientists and Journalists.

Each year, the program will award 24 prizes honoring research scientists, science journalists, and science communicators who have produced excellent pieces of science communication. The program has been designed to be forward looking in its potential to encourage continuing excellence in science communication and foster connections and opportunities that help make awardees even more effective communicators. To this end, the program will also provide programming, professional development and networking opportunities to the research scientists, science journalists, and science communicators after receiving their awards.

The SciComm Awards

A full list of recipients of the National Academies Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications –– along with an anthology of their work –– can be viewed on the National Academies website.

  • Awards Overview

    Each year, the program will award 24 prizes honoring excellence in science communication by research scientists, science journalists, and science communicators. The program will welcome submissions that explore the full spectrum of science — its beauty and societal benefits, its complexities, its shortcomings and controversies.

    Leading scientists and experts in all aspects of science communication and journalism – from the academic, non-profit, corporate, and other sectors – review the submissions and select the winners.

    Learn more about the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, including eligibility and submission guidelines.

  • 9 Awards for Research Scientists

    These awards will be split into three subcategories in science, engineering, or medical fields: graduate students (who were master’s or Ph.D. candidates), early-career researchers (who were zero-five years post-master’s or Ph.D.), and mid-to-later career researchers (who were six or more years post-master’s or Ph.D.).

  • 9 Awards for Science Journalists

    These awards will focus on three subcategories in science journalism: community journalists (who reported on local and/or community-specific issues, or the effects of wider issues on a locality or community), early-career journalists (who were under 30 years of age, or had less than five years of professional experience), and freelance journalists (who were self-employed).

  • 6 Awards for Science Communicators

    These awards will focus on two other subcategories in science communication: independent communicators (who were self-employed) and organizational communicators (who were employed by an organization).

Skill Building

The SciComms Awards program prioritizes providing award winners with access to skill building opportunities that strengthen their ability to share science in clear and engaging ways. Through hands–on workshops in writing, filmmaking, research immersion, and other learning opportunities, as well as mentorship from experienced communicators, the program supports each winner’s growth, helps amplify their voice, and empowers them to reach broader audiences with accuracy, creativity, and impact. Just as importantly, winners join a vibrant community of peers and advisors—a space to exchange ideas, find inspiration, and build lasting connections that can elevate their work and expand their reach far beyond the program itself.

Community Partners

Catalyst Grants

The Catalyst Grants provide mini-grants (typically up to $6,000, with up to $15,000 for collaborative projects) to help Scicomms Awardees expand their impact through pilot projects, new collaborations, and efforts to address institutional barriers to science communication. Designed to seed exploratory and proof-of-concept work, the grants are offered in close partnership with the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program, which helps connect awardees with collaborators, mentors, and emerging talent. Through this collaboration, awardees gain access to a broader science communication network to strengthen and scale their ideas.

Additional SciComm Initiatives

“From cataloging changes in the Earth’s atmosphere to sequencing genomes of new viruses, scientific knowledge has never been vaster, and effective communication about science has never been more important”

Wendy Schmidt

Co-founder, Schmidt Sciences