/ Medals and awards

Royal Society Africa Prize

The Africa Prize is awarded to scientists based in Africa who are making an innovative contribution to the biological or physical sciences which contributes significantly to capacity building in Africa.

  • Opening date

  • Closing date

  • Winners announcement

    Exact date TBC

The award

The Royal Society Africa Prize is to recognise research scientists based in Africa who are making an innovative contribution to the sciences. The medal is of bronze, awarded annually and is accompanied by a gift of £2,000. The prize was previously the Royal Society Pfizer Award which was last awarded in 2016.

Eligibility

The Royal Society Africa Prize is open to African citizens. The Prize is intended for researchers at a senior stage of their research career with the potential to build a research project to follow on from the prize. Nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles.

The terms and conditions of the Royal Society Africa Prize (PDF) should be read before submitting a nomination.

Please note: If you would like to nominate an early career scientist in the field of  physical, mathematical and engineering science based in Africa, then please see Rising Star Africa Prize.

Nominations are closed

Nominations will reopen in November 2024.

2024 winner

  • Professor Ali Baklouti

    Professor Ali Baklouti

    The Royal Society Africa Prize 2024 is awarded to Professor Ali Baklouti for his work on non-commutative harmonic analysis and geometry on homogeneous spaces. Professor Baklouti would like to thank Professor Akila Sellami Baklouti, Professor Sadok Kallel and Professor Fujiwara for their contributions to this work.

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Past winners

  • Awarded in 2023

    Professor Kelly Chibale

    For exceptional leadership and groundbreaking work in drug discovery for African endemic diseases.
  • Professor Novel Njweipi Chegou
    Awarded in 2022

    Professor Novel Njweipi Chegou

    For his work in the fields of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and his innovative project proposal.
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    Awarded in 2021

    Professor George Warimwe

    For his work on zoonoses vaccine development, capacity building in Africa, and his innovative research proposal.
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    Awarded in 2020

    Dr Steven Runo

    For elucidating pathways for long distance RNA trafficking between parasitic plants and their hosts and identifying and developing transgenic protocol for characterizing and validating candidate host and parasite genes.
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    Awarded in 2019

    Dr Henry Mwandumba

    For his novel work in description of the TB phagosome in HIV infected alveolar macrophages and his leadership in the College of Medicine in Malawi.