PLN 100 000 will be awarded to a young scientist whose research can positively impact the future of our civilisation. Applications for the fourth edition of the Lem Prize are now open. The deadline is 30 September. 

The Lem Prize was established in 2021 to commemorate the 100th birthday of the outstanding Stanisław Lem - Polish science-fiction novelist, who received an honorary doctorate from Wrocław University of Science and Technology in 1981. competition is open to young researchers under 40 years of age (born in 1984 or later), affiliated with a university or research centre from an EU or Horizon-associated country and Switzerland.

The prize is awarded for recent scientific achievements or discoveries made within the last 3 years in the broad field of technical sciences. It is awarded to discoveries that are characterised by creativity, interdisciplinarity and visionary thinking, while containing a strong technological component.

The competition entry (along with 2-3 letters of recommendation and up to three publications) must be submitted electronically by 30 September 2024 to lemprize@pwr.edu.pl.

The winner will be selected by the prize committee chaired by Prof. Maciej Lewenstein (ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Barcelona) and composed of eminent scientists from foreign institutes and Wrocław University of Science and Technology, as well as Tomasz Lem, the writer's son. The name of the Lem Prize 2024 winner will be announced on November 15, on the Celebration Day of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

The winner will receive a cash prize of PLN 100,000 and will also be invited to Wrocław for the award ceremony and to give a lecture on their discoveries or achievements.

Previous winners:

• Prof. Randall J. Platt, an expert in genetic engineering from the Zurich Federal University of Technology.
• Prof. Samuel Stranks from the University of Cambridge, a specialist in optoelectronics.
• Prof Ido Kaminer, experimental physicist from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

More information at lemprize.pwr.edu.pl. Please send any questions to lemprize@pwr.edu.pl.