/ 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.

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  • Opening date

  • Closing date

  • Winners announcement

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 and is awarded annually. Winners will receive a grant of £15,000 to support their research and a personal 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.

Nominations are open

Nominations are now open and will close on 20 February 2026.

Royal Society Africa Prize Lecture

The Royal Society Africa Prize Lecture by the 2025 winner, Professor Ara Monadjem, will take place on Wednesday 15 April 2026. To attend this lecture either in person or online, please sign up via Eventbrite.

Spotlight on 2024 winner

Please see below the 2024 winner, Professor Ali Baklouti, talk about his research and reflect on receiving this award ahead of his Prize Lecture in 2025:

2025 winner

  • Professor Ara Monadjem

    Professor Ara Monadjem

    The Royal Society Africa Prize 2025 is awarded to Professor Ara Monadjem for his unwavering dedication to African biodiversity research and conservation.

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Past winners

  • Professor Ali Baklouti
    Awarded in 2024

    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.
  • 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.