Candidates must fulfill all requirements through the official digital portal. The process is governed by the following protocol:
Important note: Applications that are incomplete, inaccurate, or unsupported by an authorized Nominator will be automatically disqualified.
No. The platform is reset for each edition.
Important note: All participants, including those who applied in previous editions, must create a new account for the current edition. Information and documents submitted in past editions will not be migrated and will not be considered for the current edition.
No. Applications are considered final once the submission action is executed. No further modifications, additions, or structural changes to the application are permitted.
Pre-Submission Review: Candidates are strongly advised to carefully review all information, including research data, academic credentials, and supporting documents, before you click “Submit Final Application” button.
Once you have completed your profile and application and fulfilled nomination requirements, you will be able to click on the “Submit Final Application” button. Ensure that you save any changes first by clicking the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the application page.
Once you submit your application, it will be locked and can no longer be edited. You will receive an email confirmation acknowledging receipt of your application. If you do not see the confirmation email, please check your junk or spam folder.
Within universities, nominations may only be submitted by senior academic or administrative leaders acting in an official institutional capacity. Eligible nominators include senior academic or administrative leaders such as:
Important note: Nominations submitted by individual faculty members, research staff, or students in a private capacity are inadmissible. A Nominator must act as an official representative of the institution to ensure the validity of the nomination.
To ensure the highest standards of excellence and institutional vetting, each authorized nominating entity is permitted to submit a maximum of three (3) nominations.
Important note: If an entity submits more than three nominations, the Secretariat of the Prize will proceed by considering the first three nominations received. Any additional nominations beyond this limit may not be included in the assessment process.
Nominations are processed through two authorized channels. In both instances, the Nominator must be an entity verified by the Secretariat of the Prize.
Method 1: Nomination Letter Upload
The Nominating entity issues an official Letter of Nomination (that meets all specified requirements: includes an official stamps or seals, if available, to verify the endorsement). The Candidate is then responsible for uploading this document to their application portal for validation.
Method 2: Direct Online Nomination
The nominating entity can register online as a nominator and submit the nomination directly, following the steps below:
Important note: A nomination is considered valid only once it shows a “Submitted” status in the portal. Applicants and nominators are responsible for ensuring timely and complete submission. The Secretariat cannot assume responsibility for incomplete applications or for technical issues arising from late submissions.
The Nomination is a mandatory testimonial/letter issued by an authorised representative of an eligible nominating entity to support a candidate’s application. An official nomination letter is a written recommendation, which shall include, in English or French, including:
Nomination letter upload:
If the nominator is providing an official nomination letter, it must be a formal document that meets the following authentication standards:
Direct online nomination:
If the eligible nominator submits the official nomination directly through the digital platform, a separate nomination letter does not need to be uploaded.
Important note: Nomination is a mandatory part of the candidate’s application. The nomination must be authored by an authorized representative of the eligible nominating entity.
No. To ensure the accuracy, relevance and fairness of the assessment process, all nomination letters must be newly prepared and dated for the current Prize edition.
Nomination letters submitted for previous cycles cannot be reused and will not be considered valid for the current application.
Yes. In line with the Prize’s mandate to support young scientists, candidates must be below 40-years-old at the time of the application deadline.
Important note: Eligibility is determined based on the candidate’s legal age as of 30 November 2026.
Yes. While one valid nomination from an eligible nominator is sufficient to complete an application, a candidate may be nominated by multiple eligible entities.
Yes. Candidates who were not selected in previous editions are welcome to reapply, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the current edition.
Important note: Such applicants must create a new account and submit an updated application reflecting their most recent scientific achievements and contributions.
To be considered for the third edition, all submissions, including both the candidate’s application and the Nominator’s testimonial/letter, must be successfully submitted through the portal by 30 November 2026 (23:59, UTC+1).
Important note: The application portal will automatically closed at the stated deadline. To ensure fairness and equal treatment of all candidates, late submissions cannot be accepted, and extensions cannot be granted.
Due to the high volume of submissions and the confidential nature of the international Jury’s deliberations and assessments, the Secretariat does not provide real-time status updates or individual feedback on applications.
Important note: Candidates will not be notified of their status at intermediate stages of the assessment process. The “Submitted” status displayed in your portal confirms that your application has been received and is under consideration.
No. To safeguard the integrity and independence of the selection process, all deliberations and assessments are conducted confidentially by an independent International Jury. No preliminary results, shortlists, or pre-selections are disclosed to the candidates or to the public.
Notification Protocol: Only the final five (5) laureates are notified through official correspondence once the prize-winners are selected by the Director-General of UNESCO based on the assessments and recommendations made to him/her by the international Jury. This notification takes place shortly before the public announcement and the official award ceremony.
Important note: All Jury proceedings are confidential. The Secretariat will not respond to inquiries regarding the status of specific applications or the progress of the deliberations and assessments.
Once the selection is concluded, only the five (5) laureates will be notified individually via official correspondence.
Public Announcement: The final results will be formally announced during the Official Award Ceremony.
Official Record: Following the ceremony, the names of the laureates will be published through the official channels of UNESCO and the Abdullah Al Fozan Foundation for Education.
Important Note: No appeals shall be allowed against the decision of UNESCO about the award of the prize. In line with established procedures, the Secretariat is unable to provide feedback or engage in correspondence regarding selection outcomes.
