The Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist is Switzerland's most prestigious research prize. It honours individuals with an outstanding professional career whose research work has originated mainly in Switzerland and has made a significant contribution to scientific knowledge and to society. To date eleven prizewinners have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

The 2023 Marcel Benoist Prize having been awarded in the field of life sciences (biology and medicine), in 2024 renowned personalities in Swiss research can be nominated who are active in the humanities and social sciences.

The winners of the Swiss Science Prizes Marcel Benoist and Latsis will receive their awards at a joint award ceremony of the two foundations in the presence of Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, which will be held on 7 November 2024 in the National Council Chamber of the Federal Palace. The prizewinners will be made known to the public in September.

Nominations to be submitted by 4 March 2024

The Marcel Benoist Foundation has appointed the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF to evaluate nominations and to select the prizewinner on behalf of the Foundation Board. Researchers, representatives of higher education institutions, research institutions and other institutions under public or private law may nominate researchers who are resident in Switzerland and work at least 50% at a Swiss research institution. The majority of the relevant research work must have been carried out while working in Switzerland. You will find all nomination information on the website of the Marcel Benoist Foundation.

Nominations can be submitted on the website of the Marcel Benoist Foundation immediately until 4 March: https://marcel-benoist.ch/en/nomination-2024.

The Marcel Benoist Foundation

The Marcel Benoist Foundation was established in 1920 when the Federal Council accepted Marcel Benoist's legacy. Since 2018, it has been set up as a public-private partnership: The foundation is supported by a Patronage Committee with private donors. The Federal Council elects the members of the Board of Trustees from the worlds of science and economics; the Head of the EAER awards the prize; and the EAER / State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) provides the Foundation Secretariat. In addition, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) selects the prizewinner for the Board of Trustees. At the beginning of 2023, the chairmanship passed from the head of the EAER to Nobel Laureate Didier Queloz.

Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist: Nomination procedure launched