Sponsor
International Balzan Prize Foundation
Description
Every year, four Balzan Prizes are awarded to scholars and scientists who are distinguished in their fields on an international level. The aim of the Balzan Prize is to foster culture, the sciences and the most outstanding humanitarian initiatives of peace and brotherhood among peoples, regardless of nationality, race or creed.
The subject areas for the 2025 prizes are:
- History of Contemporary Art
- Classic: Athenian Democracy Revisited
- Atoms and Ultra-Precise Measurement of Time
- Gene and Gene-Modified Cell Therapy
Eligibility
The subject areas in which the awards are granted are rotated. No more than four prizes may be awarded in any one year. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Prize
A monetary prize of 750,000 Swiss Franc (approximately CAD $995,550). The winners are each required to allocate half of their prize money to funding research projects carried out preferably by young scholars or scientists in their respective fields.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | If you wish to be considered for VPR nomination:
Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the committee’s assessment of a candidate’s research productivity. These will be taken into consideration when EOIs are assessed. | |
External Deadline | If your nomination will be submitted by a nominator other than the VPR, please submit directly to the sponsor by the external deadline. Please also submit a copy of the full nomination and OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca by the external deadline. |
How to Apply
The Vice-President (Research & Innovation) encourages nominations for this prestigious award, and will serve as nominator for those nominees recommended by the Honours and Awards Advisory Committee. If you wish to nominate a colleague or to be considered for VPR nomination:
- We recommend discussing your interest in this award with your College Research Manager and Associate Dean (Research).
- Complete the Expression of Interest document.
- Send the completed Expression of Interest document and a CV to ailsakay@uoguelph.ca and copy your College Research Manager by the internal deadline.
As this is an international prize, the University may engage the Global Excellence Initiative to coordinate external review of nominations.
Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the committee’s assessment of a candidate’s research productivity. These will be taken into consideration when EOIs are assessed.
If your nomination will be submitted by a different nominee, and therefore does not require the Vice-President's endorsement, please submit a complete nomination and signed OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca by the external deadline.
For More Information
For more information, please contact ailsakay@uoguelph.ca or balzan@balzan.it or visit the Balzan Prize website.