The prizes recognize innovative projects that embody the principles of Open Science or Citizen Science. In total three projects can receive a prize. Each prize comes with €3,500 to support the implementation, dissemination, or outreach of the project.

Objectives

• Foster participatory science: encourage projects that involve citizens or stakeholders in research.
• Promote openness: support practices that make research transparent, accessible, and reproducible.
• Empower ESRs: highlight the role of early-career researchers as ambassadors of new, inclusive research methods.
• Enhance societal impact: reward projects that address real-world problems and engage communities beyond academia.

Categories

• Open Science: projects that demonstrate open access, open data, transparent methods, or collaborative platforms.
• Citizen Science: projects that engage non-scientists in designing, collecting, or analyzing research, bridging academia and society.

Applicants must choose one category.

Eligibility

• Doctoral candidates or researchers within 8 years of PhD (extensions allowed for career breaks).
• Affiliation with one of the nine FORTHEM Alliance universities.
• Projects must be newly designed, ongoing project can only be awarded the prize in case the award allows for a significant upscaling the  project or new innovative steps in communication.

Evaluation

Applications will be judged on:

• uniqueness of the project idea and relevance
• potential impact on the career development of the ESR
• potential societal impact
• innovation in methods and approach
• public engagement & openness
• team (if applicable)

Prize & Benefits

• €3,500 per funded project (in total 3)
• Recognition across the FORTHEM Alliance
• Presentation of the project at a FORTHEM event, for example FORTHEM conference 2026
• Pubilcation of the project results in FORTHEM Journal

Application 

Submit the following in English:
1. Project summary (max 1000 words)
2. Impact & engagement statement (max 500 words)
3. Short CV (max 2 pages)
4. 1–2 support letters
5. Indicate chosen category

All documents should be compiled into a single PDF and submitted via e-mail to A4ESR@forthem-alliance.eu

Timeline 

• Launch: 10 October 2025
• Deadline: 30 November 2025
• Evaluation: December 2025
• Results announced: 10 January 2026
• Award ceremony: Online award ceremony February 2026
• Projects must be completed until 31 August 2025, reports must be submitted by 30 September 2026