The Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences

Important Dates

Deadline: December 3, 2026
Announcement: May 2027

 

Overview

The Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences is awarded to an individual in a selected area of chemistry to recognize exceptional and original research that has advanced the field in a major way. The prize is awarded biennially and consists of a monetary award of $250,000, a medal, and a certificate.

 

2027 Topic

Chemical Probes of Biological Systems

 

2027 Topic Description

The development of probes to understand biological function, particularly in the context of cells or organisms, is an important discipline in the chemical sciences. Advances in this area of chemical biology, which are distinct from the development of imaging technologies, have revealed the functions of biological molecules such as proteins, glycans, and nucleic acids; the regulation of pathways; and an understanding of disease mechanisms.

 

Selection

The Prize is awarded to an individual. If the cited advance is substantially interdisciplinary, those aspects that represent original chemistry should be clear.

 

Eligibility

The Prize is open to international nominations. There is no restriction on the number of nominees from a given institution, nor is institutional approval required. Present Dreyfus Foundation Directors, Advisors, and consultants, as well as previous Dreyfus Prize winners, and Nobel Laureates are not eligible.

 

Nomination Procedure

Any person may nominate a candidate for the Dreyfus Prize. Self-nominations are not accepted.

 

Required Information

The nomination consists of the following elements, as well as three letters of support (see below):

  1. The online nomination form
  2. A nomination letter (three-page limit)
  3. A CV that includes highest degree and advisor (five-page limit)
  4. A list of up to ten total papers and/or patents relating to the nomination
  5. A provisional citation (30-word limit)

Send all the above materials by the deadline as a single PDF to: [email protected].

 

Letters of Support

  • Up to three letters of support are accepted for each nomination.
  • Letters should be PDFs and no more than three pages.
  • Letters are to be requested by the nominator and sent directly to the Foundation at [email protected]. Letters of support should not be received with the nomination package.

Questions may be directed to the Foundation office by e-mail at [email protected].

 

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony is held at the institution of the prizewinner and includes the presentation of the award, an award talk, and a reception. The ceremony is most likely held in late September, depending on the institutional calendar.

 

Recipients and Topics of the Dreyfus Prize

2025: Héctor D. Abruña, Cornell University, Electrochemical Processes

2023: Xiaowei Zhuang, Harvard University, Imaging in the Chemical Sciences

2021: James Anderson, Harvard University, Environmental Chemistry

2019: Robert Langer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chemistry in Support of Human Health

2017: Michele Parrinello, USI Università della Svizzera italiana and ETH Zurich, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

2015: Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Carnegie Mellon University, Making Molecules and Materials

2013: R. Graham Cooks, Purdue University, Chemical Instrumentation

2011: Tobin Marks, Northwestern University, Catalysis

2009: George Whitesides, Harvard University, Materials Chemistry