Francqui Prize
The Francqui Prize, a prestigious accolade awarded annually in Belgium, holds significant importance in the world of academia and research. Established in 1933 this Prize motivates scholars to pursue groundbreaking research and interdisciplinary collaboration, and showcases Belgium’s contributions to the global intellectual community. The awarding of the Prize by the Belgium King and the involvement of a high-level international jury elevates its prestige. It honors outstanding individuals whilst elevating the standard of academic and scientific achievement in Belgium and beyond.
The 2026 Francqui-Collen Prizes in Biological and Medical Sciences are awarded to
- prof. dr. Patrice Cani (UCL) for his research about the interaction between diet, the gut microbiome and the immune system, with a focus on the bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila.
- prof. dr. Diether Lambrechts (KUL) for his innovative genetic cancer research.
[Consult the list of laureates]
Essential information about an entry
The Prize has to be considered as an inducement for a young scientist rather than the achievement of a career. This is the reason why the age limit is set at 50 years.
This prize is awarded successively in the fields of the Human Sciences (2025), the Biological and Medical Sciences (2026) and the Exact Sciences (2027). Thus, a person nominated for this Prize is not eligible again unless after three years.
Sponsorship : Candidates to this prize can be nominated, or by two members from a Royal Belgian Academy who emerge from de same discipline as the proposed candidate, or by a former Prize Laureat.
The demands introduced by indivuals for themselves are not taken into account.
The Francqui Prize cannot be shared : nevertheless it can be awarded to more than one person when it is obvious that they have worked together and that their contribution cannot be split.
The Board of Directors of the Francqui Foundation awards the Prize. Nevertheless the Board requires usually the input of an international jury. The decision of the Board is determinant.
The amount of the Francqui Prize is 250,000 euros. The prize is allocated as follows: 80% of the total amount of €250,000 will be invested in supporting the laureate’s research through the university or research institute of their choice, and €50,000 will be awarded to the researcher personally. The portion of the prize intended to fund the research will be exempt from the overhead costs that universities or research institutes typically charge when a researcher receives external funding.
File a submission
The deadline for introducing a nomination is the 15th of October.
Presentation must be in English to enable the international jury to evaluate the files.
Requirements, introduced by the sponsors in accordance with Article 4 of the rules of the Francqui Prize:
An electronical full submission containing (in following ordre):
1) A page reflecting:
– the name, the date of birth, the nationality, the affiliation and contact details of the candidate
– the name, contact details and affiliation of the sponsors
2) A list of no more than 15 keywords and a short summary of approximately 15 to 30 lines that concisely describes the candidate’s research field and highlights their specific scientific achievements.
3) Justification of the nomination: Description of the candidate’s principal scientific achievements and an explanation of their innovative and pioneering nature. Please structure this justification around approximately ten key factors (such as previously received scientific recognitions, references to the candidate’s five most important publications, involvement in the scientific work and mentoring of early-career researchers, etc.).
4) A Curriculum Vitae
5) Complete list of publications
6) Bibliometrics indicators, if available
7) Maximum 20 publications
The application dossier must be submitted no later than 15th of October by email to secretariat@francquifoundation.be. If necessary, the files can be sent via Dropbox, SwissTransfer, or a similar file-sharing service, or delivered on a USB to the Foundation’s Secretariat – Rue d’Egmont 11, 1000 Brussels. Proposals submitted after this deadline or through any other means will not be considered.