The CHALLENGE Foundation and the IAR launched a new season of scientific awards

The launch of a new season of the National CHALLENGE Award has been announced as part of the Future Technologies Forum. The announcement campaign was launched by the MAER media holding across the country. It will cover more than 12 million people in different cities of Russia from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad.

"It is symbolic that it is at the Forum of Future Technologies that we are launching the new, fourth season of the National Award in the field of Future Technologies "CHALLENGE". It is aimed at popularizing scientific knowledge and increasing the prestige of the scientific profession. These are the key objectives of the Decade of Science and Technology announced by our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. I am glad that the "CHALLENGE" is becoming more popular. Last year, we collected a record number of applications — more than 600 from 40 countries. It is important that science and technology are supported not only by the government, but also by business and the non-profit sector. The award is open to scientists from all over the world, and their achievements are recognized by a special international nomination," said Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Challenge Foundation.

The CHALLENGE Award is presented in 5 nominations: "Perspective", "Breakthrough", "Engineering Solution", "Scientist of the Year", "Discovery" (international nomination). The award's partners are the Rosatom State Corporation, the Roscongress Foundation, and the Moscow Government. This year, the bonus fund has grown to 65 million rubles.

Scientific tours of scientists will take place during the application campaign, which will last 3 months. The winners of the CHALLENGE Award from previous years will go on a tour of the country to talk about their developments.

"We first introduced the scientific tour format last year, and it aroused great interest. This season we want to make the project even bigger and expand its geography. This is an opportunity to talk about the award and introduce people in different cities of the country to outstanding scientists whose discoveries are already changing our lives for the better and shaping the future," said Natalia Tretyak, General Director of the Challenge Foundation for the Development of Scientific and Cultural Relations.

In three years, the number of applications for the CHALLENGE Award has almost tripled. In just three seasons of the award, more than 1,400 applications from 52 countries were submitted.

"Support for initiatives such as the National CHALLENGE Award is a contribution to the formation of a new culture of attitude towards science. Today, it is especially important to talk about the people who create the future — Russian scientists, engineers, and researchers. We can see how interest in the award is growing, how the number of applications is increasing and its international geography is expanding. And our task is to make sure that the most outstanding scientists are known in every corner of the country," said Konstantin Mayor, CEO of the MAER media holding.

You can apply for the CHALLENGE Award until May 25 on the CHALLENGE Awards website.Russia. The names of the 2026 laureates will be announced in December.