Nature Awards launches “AI for Discovery” research prize
Nature Awards has partnered with the BCG X AI Science Institute to launch an international prize recognising research teams using artificial intelligence and machine learning to tackle major global challenges.
The new award, AI for Discovery, will celebrate projects that use AI to speed up scientific breakthroughs and turn them into practical solutions. It will focus on three priority areas: health, sustainability and manufacturing.
Richard Hughes, VP Publishing, Nature, said: “Researchers today are navigating an extraordinary moment, as advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning rapidly reshape what’s possible in science. We’re excited to partner with the BCG X AI Science Institute to support the teams accelerating discovery through these technologies, and we look forward to receiving applications from research groups worldwide.”
Adi Zolotov, managing director and partner at BCG and global leader of the BCG X AI Science Institute, said: “Partnering with Nature Awards allows the BCG X AI Science Institute the opportunity to stand alongside researchers who are changing how science is done. AI is opening entirely new ways to explore complex problems, but translating those breakthroughs into real-world impact is still incredibly hard. We want to help close that gap, bringing together scientific rigour and industry insight so these hypotheses can truly make a difference.”
Applications for the inaugural 2026 award are now open. Four finalists will be selected by an independent panel of judges and announced in November. Each finalist will receive a $10,000 development grant and access to an online training programme delivered by consultants from the BCG X AI Science Institute. One overall winner will also receive tailored coaching from BCG X experts to help refine their research strategy and scale its impact.
Further details are available at: https://www.nature.com/immersive/aifordiscovery/index.html