The Governor's Prize of Nizhny Novgorod Region in Science and Innovation is a regional prize established in 2026 on the initiative of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region. The competition is being held for the first time: it is organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Nizhny Novgorod Region. The purpose of the prize is to reward scientists and the authors of developments that have already found practical application or are ready to enter the market.[1][2]
Categories and Conditions of Participation
The prize is awarded once a year to citizens of Russia who live permanently or temporarily in Nizhny Novgorod Region and are engaged in scientific work. Three categories have been established:[2]
- "Scientist of the Year" — to one researcher for outstanding achievements in any field of knowledge;
- "Young Scientist of the Year" — to one researcher under the age of 35 (under 40 if holding a doctorate of sciences) for outstanding achievements in any field of knowledge;
- "Innovation of the Year" — up to 30 winners among university students and researchers for projects with a high level of competitiveness and commercialization potential.
The "Innovation of the Year" category includes 10 sub-categories by sector: electronics, microelectronics, and instrument engineering; information technology; medicine and biomedicine; chemistry, petrochemistry, and high-purity materials; automotive and machine-tool manufacturing; shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, and metallurgy; the nuclear industry; agriculture; construction, building materials, and technologies; climate and ecology.[1][2]
Cash Awards and Evaluation Criteria
Laureates receive diplomas and cash awards: 2 million rubles each in the "Scientist of the Year" and "Young Scientist of the Year" categories; in each "Innovation of the Year" sub-category, 300,000 rubles for first place, 200,000 rubles for second, and 100,000 rubles for third.[2]
When evaluating applications, the competition committee takes into account whether the candidate holds an academic degree or title, the candidate's publication record over the previous three years, scientific potential, and the presence of patents and intellectual property assets.[1]
The First Competition (2026)
Applications for the first competition were accepted from November 2 to November 10, 2026. Documents were accepted at the Nizhny Novgorod House of Scientists at 25 Oktyabrskaya Street, Room 16, in two paper copies and in electronic form (scans on a flash drive). The results are scheduled to be announced in December 2026.[2]
Deputy Chairwoman of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Government Ekaterina Solntseva, commenting on the establishment of the prize, emphasized the commercialization of science and the need to bring developments out of laboratories and onto the market. Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Viktor Anisimov described the prize as a support tool for promoting Nizhny Novgorod developments on the Russian and international markets.[2]
The establishment of the prize coincided with the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia (2022–2031), declared by a decree of President Vladimir Putin.[1]
Sources
- Nizhegorodskie Novosti — Applications are being accepted for the Governor's Prize in Science and Innovation
- Vremya N — The Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor's Prize in Science and Innovation will be awarded in the region