The 5th Marie Sklodowska Curie Award

JST recognizes the importance of initiatives to promote the activities of female researchers in science, technology, and innovation. In 2021, we established the “Marie Sklodowska Curie Award”, together with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, for awarding young female researchers who are expected to flourish across the world. The award’s namesake, Dr. Marie Sklodowska Curie^*, was recognized for her achievements in her early thirties and won two Nobel Prizes. The award honors her great contribution and achievements to the development of science and technology, and we hope her example will inspire the ambitions of Japanese female researchers.
While the latter half of the doctoral program and the first few years after obtaining doctoral degrees are the most promising period for female researchers to make great strides as independent researchers, it is also true that they often face various life events during this period. By honoring the achievements of the winners and making them widely recognized, we hope that this award will support them to take a leap forward with their passion and flexibility as well as to foster the next generation of female researchers.
The Grand Prize winner will be offered an opportunity to visit research institutions in Poland, where Maria was born and raised, by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Japan and the Polish Academy of Sciences. In addition, JEOL Ltd. will present a cash prize of 1M Japanese Yen for the Grand Prize winner and 500K Japanese Yen for each Inspiration Prize winner.
For the 5th Marie Sklodowska Curie Award, we will accept applications on behalf of researchers or by the researchers themselves from October 1 –December 10, 2025. The awardees will be selected through a document screening and interview process carried out by the Selection Committee, and the results are scheduled to be announced in June 2026 along with the award ceremony. We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds: not just researchers doing basic research projects in universities and research institutes, but also researchers active in engineering, industry, product development, and R&D involving large numbers of people.

*Marie Sklodowska Curie: A world-renowned researcher from Poland who discovered two novel elements, "polonium" (at age 31) and "radium" (at age 32). She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to have won a Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields, Chemistry and Physics.

(1) Submission of proposals

Please fill in and submit the application form available on the Marie Sklodowska Curie Award website.
Website URL: https://www.jst.go.jp/diversity/researcher/mscaward/

(2) Requirements

• Researchers may apply themselves or an application may be made on their behalf. If the application is made on their behalf, the female researcher must agree to this.
• Female researchers (including post-docs) who have obtained a PhD within the last five* years as of April 1, 2026, graduate students (PhD students), and researchers in equivalent positions are eligible.
  *We will take into account periods in which researchers have halted their research activities due to life events.
• Any research discipline related to science and technology
• Nationality: Japanese (regardless of current place of residence)

Grand Prize（one person)

• Main Prize: Statue of Marie Sklodowska Curie from the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and Award certificate from JST
• Prize pot: 1M Japanese Yen
• Sub Prize: Travel expenses (transportation and accommodation) to visit research institutes in Poland (Autumn of 2026)

Inspiration Prize（two people)

• Main Prize: Award certificate from JST
• Prize Money: 500K Japanese Yen (each)

Selection will be carried out by the Selection Committee made up of external experts.

(1) Selection process

1. Document screening

• In addition to the application form, two letters of recommendation are required.
• Recommendation letters from overseas are welcome, too.

2. Interviews in English

• Only those who have passed the document screening will be notified of the interview schedule.
• Interviews will be held online.
• Interviews will be held in English.

(2) Selection criteria

• The Committee will evaluate the applicant’s achievements to date, their potential (room for growth) as a researcher, and future expectations
• The Committee will evaluate the applicant’s desire to engage in joint research with foreign researchers (European, etc.) and international cooperation
• In light of the great accomplishments of Marie Sklodowska Curie, the applicant’s will to contribute to humanity will also be considered.

Wednesday, October 1 – 12:00 noon on Wednesday, December 10 2025 (Japan Time)

• Application guideline download (PDF：128KB)

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
Ministry of Education and Science (the Republic of Poland)

The Award Ceremony is scheduled in June 2026, at the Embassy of Republic of Poland in Japan. Details will be announced on our website.

Japan Science and Technology Agency
Office for Diversity and Inclusiveness, Department of Personnel
5-3, Yonbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8666
E-mail: diversity[at]jst.go.jp