Balzan Foundation Announces 2026 Prize Winners Across Science and Humanities

The International Balzan Foundation has announced the winners of its annual Balzan Prizes, recognizing five individuals and groups for contributions spanning digital technology, molecular evolution, Jewish studies, sustainable materials and humanitarian work.

Maria Cristina Messa, President of the International Balzan Foundation–Prize, and Marta Cartabia, Chair of the Balzan General Prize Committee, announced the winners. Four annual prizes were awarded in the physical and natural sciences and the humanities, alongside the special Prize for Humanity, Peace and Fraternity among Peoples.

Each annual Balzan Prize carries an award of 750,000 Swiss francs, with half of the prize money required to support research projects involving young scholars and scientists. The special humanitarian prize also carries an award of 750,000 Swiss francs.

Digital Technology and Molecular Evolution Recognized

Elena Esposito of the University of Bologna and Bielefeld University received the prize for The Social Science of Digital Technology.

Esposito was recognized for her theoretical work on the social science of digital technology, particularly her concept of “artificial communication,” which examines how algorithms can participate in social exchange without possessing human-like understanding.

The committee also highlighted her empirical research into algorithmic prediction in areas including finance, medicine and public policy, describing her work as providing a framework for examining the growing role of artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems in society.

The prize for Molecular Evolution: Decoding Patterns of Genomic Change was awarded jointly to Rasmus Nielsen of the University of California, Berkeley, and Ziheng Yang of University College London.

Their research combines statistical theory, computational methods and genomic analysis to investigate how natural selection shapes genes and populations. Their work has also contributed widely used computational tools for studying evolutionary adaptation.

Jewish Studies and Sustainable Materials

David Nirenberg of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton received the Balzan Prize for Jewish Studies.

The award recognizes his scholarship on Judaism, anti-Judaism and the historical relationships among Jews, Christians and Muslims. The committee highlighted his interdisciplinary research, extensive use of multilingual sources and analysis of the relationship between violence and tolerance.

The prize for Biodegradable Polymers from Renewable Sources was awarded jointly to Geoffrey W. Coates of Cornell University and Marc A. Hillmyer of the University of Minnesota.

Their collaborative research has advanced the development of sustainable polymers through molecular design and catalysis, including materials derived from renewable feedstocks and recovered carbon dioxide. Their work has helped move discoveries in sustainable polymer chemistry from fundamental research toward industrial materials and technologies.

Interdisciplinarity Central to Prize Selection

The Balzan Foundation said the selection of the annual prizes is based on the validity, contemporary relevance and coherence of research, as well as specific contributions to understanding the world and advancing knowledge across national and disciplinary boundaries.

Interdisciplinarity is a central criterion of the Balzan Prize. The Foundation said meaningful exchanges across fields are essential to addressing complex challenges facing both society and the natural world.

The four annual prize fields are selected anew each year by the General Prize Committee. Two are drawn from literature, moral sciences and the arts, while two are selected from physical, mathematical and natural sciences and medicine. The rotating approach is intended to provide opportunities to recognize emerging or developing areas of research.

Each annual prize is worth 750,000 Swiss francs, with 50% earmarked for research projects involving younger researchers.

Emergency Response Rooms Receives Humanitarian Prize

The special Prize for Humanity, Peace and Fraternity among Peoples was awarded to Emergency Response Rooms (ERR) in Sudan for outstanding humanitarian work.

The prize is awarded at intervals of no less than three years to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to humanitarian causes. Like the annual Balzan Prizes, the award carries a value of 750,000 Swiss francs.

The recognition brings humanitarian work alongside the Foundation’s research prizes, highlighting the Balzan Foundation’s broader focus on contributions that address major challenges facing humanity.

The 2026 winners reflect the Balzan Foundation’s emphasis on research that crosses disciplinary boundaries while addressing scientific, social and humanitarian questions of contemporary relevance.