Nature Awards launches "AI for Discovery" research prize
Nature Awards has teamed up with the BCG X AI Science Institute to recognize research teams using AI and machine learning to tackle big scientific problems and turn results into real-world solutions. The new international prize spotlights work that accelerates discovery and moves it into application.
Focus areas
- Health
- Sustainability
- Manufacturing
What finalists and the winner receive
- Four finalists selected by an independent judging panel, announced in November.
- $10,000 development grant for each finalist.
- Access to an online training program delivered by consultants from the BCG X AI Science Institute.
- One overall winner also receives 1:1 coaching from BCG X experts to refine research strategy and scale impact.
Why this matters for researchers
According to Richard Hughes, VP Publishing at Nature, AI and ML are reshaping what's possible in science, and this prize aims to support teams pushing that frontier. Adi Zolotov, managing director and partner at BCG and global lead of the BCG X AI Science Institute, emphasized the need to bridge the gap between breakthrough models and measurable impact-bringing scientific rigor and industry insight into one process.
Who should apply
- Research teams using AI/ML to speed up discovery and translate findings into deployable tools, protocols, or platforms.
- Groups working at the intersection of computational methods and experimental validation.
- Teams ready to demonstrate a credible path from promising results to outcomes in health, sustainability, or manufacturing.
How to make a strong application
- State the scientific question clearly and why AI/ML is the right lever.
- Show method rigor: data provenance, benchmarks, validation, and error analysis.
- Explain the pathway to impact: integration with existing workflows, deployment constraints, and measurement of outcomes.
- Address ethics, safety, and reproducibility (code, data, protocols where possible).
- Highlight the team's cross-disciplinary strengths and partnerships needed to move from prototype to practice.
Applications for the inaugural 2026 award are open now. Full details and entry information are available on Nature's site: AI for Discovery award page.
Further reading and upskilling
- AI for Science & Research - practical resources on applying AI in lab and computational research.
- AI Learning Path for Sustainability Analysts - methods for environmental analytics and impact measurement.
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